


Looking for a Stranger to Love

by Daslebensmittel



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Bottom!Bucky, Bucky is a failboat, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Let me repeat: SHAMELESS rom-com, M/M, Roommates, Shameless rom-com, Slow Build, Some discriminatory and immature behavior, Steve is a little shit, Warning: much dork very cheese
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-05-21 04:09:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6037519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daslebensmittel/pseuds/Daslebensmittel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky is just another average demon in New York, trying to live a normal life. After a flirting attempt with the lonely Steve goes awry, they strike up an unusual friendship. Despite their misgivings and meddlesome friends, Steve and Bucky manage to become wonderful roommates. Will they grow even closer and let Bucky have another chance? Or will Steve forever be "the one that got away"?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title from: [Bad Habit - The Kooks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tUh-x-fp8Q)  
> Working Title: Mythical Creatures and Where to Find them (I was re-reading Harry Potter...)

The back street was dark, save for a few dodgy street lamps, frantically blinking their life away. The earlier rain left the concrete sidewalk with splotches of puddles. Around the corner of the diminished street, there was a line of a few hipster underground clubs. Pulling his tattered jean jacket closer, Bucky passed a huddling gaggle of young women and men. By the iridescent blue glow of their dewy skin, it was obvious they were mer-people. They were waiting to enter some pretentious club, giggling at themselves for their wild night ahead.

“Amateurs…” he muttered haughtily. Bucky was _so_ over those kinds of frivolous misadventures.

Since antiquity, mythical creatures existed and enjoyed terrorizing humanity. From sprites to devils, they tricked and tormented the human soul. Of course, not all of them were malicious; it was just that most benign ones were also incredibly timid and reclusive. No matter what type of creatures they were, however, they could not remain shrouded in mystery and become outdated features of tall tales forever. They had to evolve with the times, so to speak.

Bucky was one such mythical creature, or supernatural, as they were so labeled. He had adapted quite well to the modern society of mortals, actually. He learned to dress according to the latest trend, caught on slangs like nobody’s business, and even held a steady job.

His life wasn’t always such a picnic in the park, though. One such turbulence occurred during the Second World War. He was forced to enlist in the army, a Special Forces unit made only of mythical creatures. It didn’t seem coincidental that his unit consisted of the more evil sort of supernaturals: vampires, goblins, and banshees, among others. When they were gathered, they took a look around and knew exactly what their purpose was – reusable cannon fodder. Relationship between the humans and the supernatural still had been less than friendly back then, but they had been promised protection by law, if only they would serve.

Some slick devil himself must have struck a deal with the U.S. government, because new regulations for supernatural equality were indeed in place by the time Bucky was discharged. He was pleasantly surprised, as he had seriously doubted the sincerity of the government, a sentiment everyone in his unit had echoed.

 

So here he was, enjoying his comfortable and lawfully protected life as a supernatural, as adapted as anyone like him could be. Except, no one’s life, no matter how magical, could be ‘perfect.’ And Bucky’s small, tiny little snag in his mostly-carefree life was that he was absolutely _abysmal_ at flirting and more direly, seducing. He frankly wouldn’t mind a celibate life, if it were up to him (also frankly, he was living one regardless); he was fully capable of keeping himself busy in his free time between Netflix and social media, thank you very much. It was just that he was none other than… an incubus.

  
Bucky could sustain himself on food, a literal ton of food, each day. Nonetheless, it was his instinct to at least attempt to find a partner. After all, that was just what he was supposed to do – an obligation embedded in his genetics, though weakened through generations of disuse and curbed by legal parameters. He had gone to his fair share of clubs and bars, flirting with some unsuspecting person; whether they were mortal or not, did not matter. He had to be the one seducing though, which was where he hit a bump, or rather, hundreds of them. But his army fellows did not call him “Plucky Bucky” without good reasons. He didn’t give up, though he skipped a few days in between – he could take rejection only so many times a week. He might be a demon, but he could be quite delicate for one.

Therefore, Bucky decided to adjust his tactics tonight. He wouldn’t go where he had so much competition, not only from other incubi, but also humans and other supernaturals looking for some naughty nighttime shenanigans. He would target those less desired by the competitors. He would find someone, still willing and able, but maybe a _bit_ lower on the list of attractive partners. A _niche_. And just where was this niche? The hospital.

 

Bucky snuck into Sacred Shield Hospital just before the main entrance doors were locked for the night. He quickly bypassed the pediatric and geriatric divisions. Just because he was a somewhat desperate incubus, it didn’t mean he lacked morals and, more importantly, standards. The lights were partly dimmed in the hallways, nurses getting ready to change shifts and overnight visitors turning in for the day. He moved to the rehabilitation unit - swiftly, as he did not want any questions asked. He treaded gently in the corridor, peering into the windows for a viable subject. Most windows were dark, with the patients already retired. He passed some still lit windows, mentally categorizing most of the occupants as ‘last resorts’ and some as ‘yikes.’ So he was a little superficial, but he _was_ a demon. In Bucky’s opinion, his standards were revolutionarily low and so deserved a break. As he neared the end of the corridor and prepared to reevaluate his ‘last resorts,’ he saw a softly lit room, with a single male patient reading a book. A single, _attractive_ male patient.

 Bucky hastily smoothed his plaid button-down shirt and made sure the collars of his jacket were neatly folded. He combed through his hair with his fingers and tucked the strands behind his ears. He had recently gotten them cut to just below the ears after going through a controversial man-bun phase. He checked his breath, blowing into his palm, then inspected his reflection on his phone’s camera. Cool blue eyes with little crinkles and full red lips gave him a nervous smile; he looked pretty good. He closed his eyes and murmured some words of encouragements to himself, then knocked.

“Come in?”

The answer came hesitantly, a good while after Bucky’s knock. The occupant seemed confused as to why a visitor would come at this time: too late to be a regular visitor, too early to be something truly sinister. Bucky cleared his throat and entered. Quietly closing the door behind him, he took his first real look at his mission.

The man had the clearest baby-blue eyes, accentuated by sweeping lashes. His dark blond hair was in the Ivy League style, but looked soft and free of pomade. His jaw, though, set so strongly, looked like freedom and justice themselves, ready to cut through any injustice. For some reason, he was in regular worn t-shirt and sweatpants, instead of the hospital gowns, but they did nothing to hide his well-defined muscles. He was sure to have washboard abs. Bucky ogled shamelessly at this man.

“Um, can I help you?”

Bucky stirred from his stupor. The man looked concerned. He probably thought Bucky was lost. And he was, just lost in something _else_. Bucky reminded himself of his original purpose and swallowed. He discreetly glanced at his palm, open next to his thigh. 

“I, I just wanted to know… Did it hurt when you fell?” Bucky shakily drawled.

“Uh, what do you mean?” The man blinked, clearly baffled.

“From the sky, because you, um, you look like a…”

Shit, what was the last part? Bucky’s palms were sweaty from nerves and his notes were all smeared. He, this time, less than discreetly, glimpsed at his palm, frantically trying to decode the last word. A…N…G…

“An angle!”

Bucky cried gleefully, but he was met with silence and a frozen stare. Did he wait too long? Did he leave out something? He was kind of in a hurry when he wrote it down. 

“I think you mean ‘angel’?” the man suggested dryly. By now, his expression had morphed from shock into pity. Bucky brought his hand up for a closer examination. Indeed, through the smudges, it was clearly ‘angel.’ What was he _thinking_?? He should have figured that out from context! As always, hindsight was 20/20. Bucky let out a distressed sigh and crumbled down. He had even liked this line, thought it was sweet. What better compliment than calling someone an angel? Even worse, this guy was aces, for someone bedridden. Hell, he’d be on the top of the regular list, but he _was_ in a hospital, so who knew what kind of problems he had? 

“Um, so,” the man cleared his throat, “Was that supposed to be an imitation of flirting?”

“What do you _mean_ ‘imitation,’ pal? I’m giving it my best here! Even researching this crap!”

“Well, forgive me for belittling your efforts, really. It’s just… That was _terrible_. Even for me.”

Bucky groaned miserably. Why was he such a failure? So stupid. Another botched attempt. This time, from start to finish, a flawless catastrophe, if there ever was one. Wrong words, faulty delivery, weak presence; the whole nine-yards.

“So, are you a succubus or something?”

“I’m an incubus, know the fucking difference! It’s not that hard!”

“Geez, sorry. Calm down. I didn’t know you guys were so gender binary… Hey, are you crying?”

The answer was ‘yes.’ He _was_ crying. He knew he shouldn’t be, especially in front of this douche-canoe, but he couldn’t help it. Time after time, he had failed, but he had been unfazed and soldiered on. He was still adjusting, that was all. And he did have a lot of competition and his flirting technique was probably a bit behind the times. It also did not help that he had a murder strut that freaked out most people, even if his face was alluring. So he had made efforts to improve: tamed his glare, waited to be accosted first, studied up pick-up lines, and dressed to the nines. And yet, he had screwed up royally. Again. At a hospital, with a sickly person, no less.

Bucky was crushed. He knew he would recover in due time and try again, but he could no longer rein in the tears of frustration for the time being. Over his own soft devastated sobs, he heard the man abandon his bed and come toward him. The man lowered himself and gently laid a hand on Bucky’s shoulder.

“Hey, _hey_ … I’m sorry. I’m sorry if I upset you. I didn’t mean to, promise.”

Bucky gave him no answer, but the man rubbed circles in his shoulder. For a douche-canoe, he was strangely very comforting. And Bucky knew he shouldn’t have lashed out at the man, since he had no real heat behind his words. He was simply fed up with _himself_.

“’M sorry… I just…”

“Shhh, it’s okay. Do you… wanna talk about it?”

Normally, Bucky’s answer would be a definite ‘no.’ Being unable to flirt and seduce was _sort_ of undermining the very core of his existence, it seemed, and he was too proud to admit it to anyone, including friends, if he possessed any. This random hospital guy, however, elicited a sense of trust with his caring eyes. Bucky was becoming weary of carrying the weight of his little defect for centuries on, too. He probably wouldn’t see this guy again anyways… 

“I guess…?”

“Glad to hear it. I’m Steve, what’s your name?”

“Bucky.”

“Is that a common name for an incubus…?” Steve narrowed his eyes. Bucky rolled his.

“It’s short for Buchanan, full name’s James Buchanan. It’s the name of the first person I tempted.”

“I didn’t mean any judgment. Wait a second, the 15th president of America, James Buchanan??”

“Very good!” enthused Bucky, dripping with sarcasm.

“You… You know, with _him_?? And… Did you, uh, with any other president??”

“Relax. No, I didn’t sleep with any of them. He was the only one lonely enough for me to even think about a temptation, but he declined. Had a secret lover or something. But incubi usually ‘borrow’ the name of the first person we tempt.”

“Oh okay… Then how old does that make you?”

“I don’t know my exact birth year, but probably around 200 years old. I usually say 25 to mortals though. How old are you?”

Steve tensed at the question, making Bucky wonder if he had broken another social etiquette. Instead of reprimanding Bucky, though, Steve made himself more comfortable on the floor and made eye contact with him in a crooked smile before he answered. 

“I’m a little younger than you – almost 100.”

Steve chuckled, but Bucky gaped at Steve with disbelief. This guy was a supernatural? What the hell was he doing in a hospital?

“So, did you have trouble with your flirtation technique all 200 years, or…?”

“Shut up. I have my reasons.”  
  
“Yeah, that’s why we’re talking. What are they?” Then Steve immediately added, “If you don’t mind me asking.”

Usually, Bucky barely admitted it to himself, making excuses or doing pseudo-psychoanalysis to justify it. But the feeling of trust hadn’t faded; in fact, it only grew stronger, and he felt himself on the brink of baring his soul to this weirdly supportive, smart-mouthed guy. 

“Well, I guess I wasn’t talented in the first place. We always try to seduce someone kind of powerful first, it gives us confidence, see? And usually, they fall for it, because they’re egotistic dickheads. Love to show off. Like I said, though, I fa… Didn’t succeed.”

“So it’s a performance thing?”

“Maybe? But he let me down nicely and I didn’t think much of it. Had a few good tries afterwards, nothing to boast or anything. For your info, most incubi get new partners almost every day.”

“How did you survive? Isn’t it crucial for your existence?” Bucky shook his head.

“No, not really. It’s in our nature, yes, but we can eat food instead, just lots of it. So most of us go for the sex, it’s easier. It just… wasn’t for me. So I stole food for a while until I got caught.”

And Bucky had to stop there for a second. Thinking about it still gave him flashes of anger. He had been a fairly young incubus when he was arrested and identified as such by the authorities. Unfortunately, that was when supernatural persecution had been fervent, the Americans conducting their own little inquisition against the supernatural. He had stayed in custody for a few weeks and then was shipped to a Russian internment camp with other allegedly malevolent supernaturals, for decades of icy and miserable imprisonment.

“Shit…” commented Steve after Bucky managed to relay this to him.

“Yeah, no one knew about it except for high-ranking officials in both countries. We were probably the first prototype of a gulag!”

“Are you proud of that??” Steve asked, incredulously.

“No, of course not. Just saying,” Bucky shrugged.

Bucky continued to explain that he fought in the Second World War, so that his kind could get pardoned and have regulations to protect them. The supernatural would have strict prohibitions regarding human safety, but in return, they were to be free from persecution and were allowed to coexist with humans. 

“Wow. I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Steve said with a genuinely pained expression.

“It’s not just me, a lot of us did,” Bucky shrugged again. It all had happened a long time ago.

“Still. It obviously affects you, even now.”

In some ways, it was entirely too true. They remained silent as Steve worked to soak in the information. Bucky had calmed down by then, but his legs were asleep.

“Do you mind if we move to your bed?”  
  
“Are you seducing me?” Steve waggled his eyebrows.

“No! Not anymore…’Cause you’re an ass-hat! My legs are numb.”

Steve playfully gave Bucky the shifty eyes, but conceded and helped Bucky up. His legs were wobbly. It made him walk to the bed like a newborn deer, which made Steve snigger, earning himself a slap. Steve settled back where he was on his pillow before Bucky barged in and Bucky sat at the foot of the bed, gingerly massaging his legs. 

“So, Steve. What’s an immortal like you doing in a freakin’ hospital?”

“I thought you might ask,” Steve smiled, knowingly.

“Well, I poured my heart out to you, it’s only fair I get some dirt on you back.”

“What you told me isn’t dirt on you, Bucky.”

“Whatever.” Bucky hoped he wasn’t blushing as hard as he felt like he was.

“First of all, I spent a lot of time here as a kid, because I was sick all the time, back in the 20’s. And that’s in the 1900s, gramps.”

“Yeah, yeah. Why were you sick? What are you anyways, the god of counseling?”

“I’m flattered, but no. And I was sick, because I wasn’t an immortal then. Yet. Apparently, I had to pass a test to become one.”

“And what test was that?”

“Self-sacrifice.”

 

Steve had been born as a skinny and sickly mortal, living with his widowed mom in a little Brooklyn apartment. She had been a nurse at Sacred Shield and Steve had spent much of his childhood at the hospital, both to be with his mom and to be treated for his illnesses. Steve counted off all his ailments and Bucky had to stop him, since he didn’t even know what half of those was. Then one day when Steve was 20, his mom had almost been run over by a taxi, had he not pushed her out of the way and got hit instead.

“I should have died, but I guess that made me pass the test.”

“And this promotion fixed all of your problems and made you beefy?”

Steve cracked up at this and answered, “No, it was a coincidence.”

To help him, a doctor suggested giving Steve a new serum he had developed for rapid recovery and genetic enhancements. There was only one dosage, as it hadn’t been fully tested, but Steve’s state seemed too critical to not give it a chance. He would have survived anyways, having fulfilled his self-sacrifice requirement, but the doctors weren’t aware and the formula gave him a bigger, stronger body, which he couldn’t complain about. It came in handy for his duties as a supernatural, too.  
 

“So, you still haven’t told me what you are,” Bucky gave Steve a cheeky grin. Steve smiled back, but with a bit of wonder in his eyes.

“You know, I think it’s fate that you chose that pick-up line.”

“Don’t remind me of that,” groaned Bucky, “but why?”

“Because I’m a guardian angel.”

A guardian angel… Bucky both internally and externally winced and buried his face in his hands. The subsided mortification from moments prior was returning with renewed vigor. He had tried to flirt with an angel, by calling him a fucking angel. Or angle, rather, which he was equally not proud about. Steve laughed merrily and clapped Bucky on the shoulder. He seemed to be overly enjoying himself in Bucky’s humiliation.

“Come on, man, it’s no big deal? You didn’t know. And honestly, it doesn’t matter that I’m an angel. That line wasn’t gonna fly with _anyone_.”

“Fuck. You.”

“Wouldn’t you like to,” said Steve with a sly smirk.

“Oh my fucking god. I thought angels were supposed to be nice??”

“I guess you could say I’ve got some sharp… _angles_.”

Bucky’s face exploded scarlet as he lunged for Steve’s pillow to whack him vehemently. This fucker had somehow gotten Bucky embarrassed in myriad of ways in record time. Despite being pummeled, albeit with a cushy pillow, Steve laughed himself to oblivion. Eyes clamped shut and face beet red, he gave half-hearted attempts with his arm to block Bucky. Steve was way too smug about his pun and Bucky was still embarrassed about this whole ordeal, but laughter, especially Steve’s, was infectious. He eased up on his vengeance and joined Steve in laughing, dropping the pillow to his lap.

“You’re a fucking menace.”

“I’m, I’m sorry. I know we’ve just met and I’m usually not like that, I swear… But you are just so ridiculous I couldn’t help it,” managed Steve between poorly concealed hiccups.

“Me?? Pal, you are the one in a hospital, even though you are fucking _immortal_!”

Steve’s laughter gradually diminished until he was breathing evenly again. Bucky was sometimes slow with reading the room, but he noticed pretty quickly this time that the air had changed. Bucky tensed; he was still mortified beyond words, but he had actually been having _fun._ He had felt better after divulging his story to someone else and, truth be told, Steve was easy to talk to. Bucky became afraid that he’d made everything sour.

“Right, forgot to tell you that, didn’t I?” He answered with that crooked grin of his.

“Steve, you don’t have to if you don’t want to-“

“No, it’s alright. So, after becoming a guardian angel, my first charge was my mom. We never knew beforehand, by the way. Just kind of happened. When she died not too long after, I was heartbroken, to say the least. It kind of, broke me, and I was literally out of commission for a while. Sacred Shield let me stay here, in honor of my mom, so I could recuperate. Couldn’t pay rent anyways,” Steve chuckled. “Obviously, I can’t be physically ill, but mentally, I was… Not okay. I felt like I’d lost _everything_. But you know, I couldn’t mope forever. I was asked to work as part of a military unit, too, actually, and I met my next charge there, Peggy.”

Steve smiled fondly with her name and Bucky knew Steve had loved her dearly, too. A tiny hint of jealousy blossomed in Bucky at Steve for having had someone who inspired a smile like that.

“She was an amazing woman, really. Sharp as a tack, tough as nails. Sorry, I’m being very cliché,” Steve snickered, “she was part of the organization I worked for, it’s sort of a proximity thing, so I naturally became her guardian angel.”

“Sounds like you were more than her guardian angel,” Bucky implied chastely.

“Nah. We did love each other, but it would have never worked out, you know? Me being immortal and all. We always kept our distance. She got married to a nice fellow, lived happily, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” he said, resolute. “I was her guardian angel, after all. She died last year though, and I’m sure you can now guess why I’m back here,” Steve smiled sheepishly. 

Bucky did understand. Romantic feelings aside, it would be hard to lose someone after years of having loved and cared for them. Of course, Bucky only understood the abstract concept of that, never having had such an experience.

As they stayed still, Bucky took a look around Steve’s room, to distract himself from the vicarious pain. It was a decent single person room, compliant with the customary hospital décor. A generic hospital bed, table set with two chairs, and a side table were all the furniture present in the room, but the blankets seemed cozier, friendlier, and the table had books and sketchpads that must belong to Steve. The hospital staff must have understood and cared about Steve enough to allow him a room of his own all these years.

“Well Bucky, it’s quite late now. I’m sorry I took up your precious business hours.”

“Yeah right,” Bucky snorted. “I intruded your resting time, I’d say we’re even.”

“No harm done, then,” Steve replied kindly. 

For all the talking they had done, they shifted in their places awkwardly, avoiding each other’s gaze. A moment of silence passed where neither of them knew what to do next. Bucky made to move when Steve got off his bed and went to the stack of books on the table. Behind it, he grabbed a bag of cookies and fished one out to offer to Bucky.  
  
“You must be hungry. Want one? These are triple chocolate chips. Probably would give you diabetes, if you were mortal.”

“Thanks,” Bucky gladly accepted the cookie. He was hungry. His dinner of a whole 12-inch pizza was hours ago. He took a bite as Steve grabbed one for himself. Steve was not exaggerating about the amount of sugar, but Bucky had a sweet tooth and polished off the rest of the cookie with little decorum.

“Thanks, man. It was delicious. But, um, I should probably go…”

“Oh, right. You know how to get out?”

“Yeah, dad, it’s not my first rodeo,” Bucky scoffed.

“Please, you’re no son of mine,” Steve countered with a teasing skeptical look. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Bucky.”

“You, too, Steve. Thanks for listening to me.”

“Same to you. And hey, try a different _angle_ with the flirting next time, alright?”

“Oh shut it, fuckin’ punk.”

Bucky flipped him off and left a giggling Steve behind the door. He was about to completely shut it before he thought of something and stuck his head back in.

“Hey Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I have another cookie?”

Steve beamed and tossed him the whole bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG! I've written something! Better watch out, it's so cheesy... DX You've been warned!!  
> But if you like dorks in love, you've come to the right place! ;o) Thank you so much for reading this goopy mess! :D  
> Any form of acknowledgement is greatly appreciated! :) [*tumblr*](http://daslebensmittel.tumblr.com)  
>   
> *For[The Stucky Library](http://thestuckylibrary.tumblr.com) Stucky Big Bang 2016.  
> 


	2. Chapter 2

Bucky left Steve’s room with a hint of spring in his steps. Free cookies! The obscene amount of sugar in these things was bound to last him a while. And if his heart felt lighter than it had been for a better part of a century, then all the better. Bucky cradled the bag and ventured silently to the staff entrances in the back. If he could just sneak out without alerting the nurses and guards, then he would be good to go.

Alas, flirting apparently wasn’t the only thing that he lacked finesse for. After all, it _was_ his first time in the hospital, contrary to how he’d boasted to Steve. As soon as he reached the exit corridor, someone cleared her throat behind him.

“Excuse me, just what do you think you’re doing here?”

She was a middle-aged Asian lady, her hair in a perfect tight bun, with horn-rimmed glasses and a _very_ unimpressed look. Bucky instantly withered, but soon plastered on what he thought was his most charmingly apologetic smile. He thought he achieved it with a surprising amount of success. 

“Hi! I’m _so_ sorry, but I fell asleep visiting my friend? He’s in a coma…” Bucky rubbed his eye with all the sorrow he could muster. “Could you please be so kind as to let me out? I have to go to work in the morning, so I can’t stay here.” 

The second part wasn’t a lie; he really did have to go to work. Nonetheless, the nurse judged him doubtfully. Bucky perspired under his short tresses, in spite of the well air-conditioned halls. He was becoming increasingly desperate by the second. He had kept out of trouble for decades and wasn’t keen on being arrested again.

“Can I… Can I give you a cookie? These are really good!”

Bucky now started to visibly sweat. It was an insane suggestion, he was painfully aware, but he was nearing the end of his rope. The nurse arched one impeccably defined brow and scrutinized him for what seemed another eon. Bucky was about to drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness, just as the nurse delivered her verdict.

“No need, son. But you _better_ not let this happen again. Understand?”

“Yes! Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I promise this won’t ever happen again. Thank you so much!”

Bucky almost jumped to hug her, aborting only at the last second. She lifted a corner of her mouth, just the tiniest bit, and unlocked the doors to kick him out. The cool night air signaled freedom to Bucky and he let out a relieved sigh. He was going to stay away from the hospital for a while. 

As soon as he got home, Bucky went straight to his bedroom and dropped himself heavily onto the bed. It had been an emotional rollercoaster ride for him this evening. He was probably going to regret sleeping in all his clothes, but it wasn’t the first time and he was absolutely drained. As he quickly drifted to sleep, he pointedly did not wonder if he would ever see Steve again.

 

 

The alarm went off at 7 and Bucky heaved himself up. His front hurt on the spots where his jacket buttons had poked him and a tiny spot of drool cooled his cheek. He took a quick shower and ate two of the cookies, then shortly regretted, because there apparently was a point of ‘too much sugar,’ even for Bucky. He left his apartment and went to work, forgoing his usual coffee run. He had appointments all morning and he was already cutting it close. 

Bucky returned home around 6, tired and hungry. He had done some extra appointments, which meant he could be off for the next few days. He knew he should make a proper dinner for himself, but gave into his urges for another cookie. If he controlled himself and ate just one, they were absolutely heavenly in his mouth, giving him a shot of energy and a side effect of mysterious happiness.

He flipped through his Netflix list, with a bottle of beer in hand, enjoying the luxury of being lazy. Around midnight, he contemplated going out to lure someone; he was still an incubus and _mildly horny_ was his default mood. However, giving up the warmth and snugness of his blanket and couch seemed nothing short of heartbreaking. Bucky then sighed at the crazy notion that his couch was more enticing than he was. There was something else that popped up in his mind, but it flitted away so quickly, he didn’t get a chance to recognize it.

 

The next day, he leisurely journeyed to the public library in the afternoon. He wanted to study more ways to flirt and seduce. He had actually read many volumes already on the subject, and observed, with some professional objectivity, how the techniques had transformed through the decades. Based on the sheer amount of text he’d read and studied, he should be awarded a doctorate on seduction and become an editor on Cosmo for flirtation advice. But as Bucky’s luck went, to learn flirtation from words alone, no matter the decade, and apply to real life was much more difficult than he had anticipated. Also, as soon as he fixed one thing, something else always went wrong (which was why he opted for a shortcut and Googled pick-up lines; plus, he secretly found them hilarious).

Still, he checked out a few books and returned home. Better than nothing, he thought – deserved an A for effort. Avoiding humiliation akin to the other night was ideal, too. Didn’t matter if the guy was unnecessarily charming and hot, you know?

By the Sunday after his days off, Bucky had finished Steve’s cookies. He thought he carefully rationed them to three a day, between his massive regular meals, yet they were gone all too soon. He was pouting and staring longingly at the empty bag left only with crumbs, when a brilliant idea whizzed in his head. Why doesn’t he go ask Steve where he got them? They were fantastic cookies, perfect for an energy boost, immensely useful to an abstinent incubus like Bucky. Steve probably would be happy to tell him, maybe even go with him (or maybe not). Bucky resolved to go and took care in dressing for a sooner-than-expected visit to the hospital.

 

Bucky didn’t have to slink around inconspicuously this time, as it was during normal hospital hours. He even officially signed in as a visitor and made his way to the end of the corridor in the rehabilitation unit, willing himself not to rush. If a bit of excitement fizzed in him at the prospect of seeing Steve, well, he couldn’t help it.

Bucky halted in front of Steve’s room. Or, what _was_ Steve’s room. The door was ajar and inside, all of Steve’s belongings were gone, including the blankets. Deeply crestfallen, Bucky turned his steps back to the main entrance of the hospital. He returned to the front desk with much less enthusiasm than earlier and snatched up a pen to sign out. 

“Bucky?”

It was Steve, coming out of the other hallway. Bucky hurriedly finished his task and walked up to Steve.

“Steve,” sighed Bucky. He tried to refrain from letting his eyes twinkle.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” Steve asked, pleasantly bewildered.

“I, uh, actually came to see you.” He added with a rush, “Because I had a question.”

“Okay, sure. What’s up?”

“I was just, you know, wondering, where you got those cookies? I finished them and I wanted to get some more.” Did he sound juvenile? He sounded juvenile.

“Oh, I see,” said Steve. He didn’t seem to be judging Bucky. “Glad you liked them. My friend bought them for me, but the bakery’s just around the corner from here. I can take you if you want?”

He knew it. Steve _was_ going to take him. Though elated, Bucky kept his cool and nodded casually. They walked out of the hospital together in companionable quietude, though Steve hummed softly. It only took them a minute to reach their destination, a small bakery that seemed to have stood in its spot for as long as Bucky was alive. A little chime bell rang as they entered and the sweet aroma of freshly baked goods tickled Bucky’s nose. He took a good whiff and moaned a little as he exhaled. Steve chuckled. 

“Smells great, doesn’t it?”

“God, yes. This is a dangerous place. I might buy _everything_.”

“Their coffee is decent, too. I could use a cup, if you’d like to join me?”

Steve looked cautiously at him, to Bucky’s confusion. Why wouldn’t he like to join him? He did come back to the hospital for the sole purpose of seeing Steve… and if Steve would inform him of the cookies’ origins, of course. They ordered two black coffees and three bags of cookies for Bucky to take away then found themselves a table. The bakery had just finished their lunch rush, leaving Steve and Bucky to be their exclusive customers.

“So… How have you been, Bucky?”

“Pretty good. Yourself?”

“Not bad. Been feeling better lately, actually.”

“That’s good. I, uh, saw that you moved out.” Bucky prayed he didn’t sound like a stalker.

“Oh yeah. I thought it was about time that I got more independent. I’d just got done saying thanks to the doctors when I saw you.”

“Cool. Where are you gonna stay?”

“I’ll be staying with a friend until I find my own place. He offered me to live rent-free in his building, but,” Steve leaned in a little closer and whispered, “I’d really rather not.” 

Steve seemed only half-serious, chuckling at the thought. And then, Bucky didn’t know what came over him – perhaps divine intervention, he had no idea – but he blurted out, “You could come live with me?”

“What? Really?”

“Uh… I mean, if you want to. My place has two rooms. Could split the rent, you know.”

Bucky tried for nonchalant, but was suspicious of his success. Bucky was not one to make friendships, especially on his own accord, but Steve was different - made him feel comfortable and safe. He was a guardian angel, so maybe it was one of the effects he had on others? He knew he was being extremely forward, having met the guy only a few days ago. But they had bonded over their semi-tragic backstories, hadn’t they? Bucky couldn’t be the only one feeling a connection here. After searching Bucky’s face for any sign of doubt or duplicity, Steve smirked.

“As long as you promise to protect my virtue…”

“Oh for cryin’ out loud, it doesn’t _work_ like that!”

“I’m joking, Bucky. Yeah, I’d like to live with you. I’m pretty sure I can withstand your so-called ‘flirting.’”

Bucky kicked Steve under the table and got a kick back for his efforts. They kept kicking each other until the bakery’s ancient lady owner, a very prim witch, sharply coughed at them for being so raucous.

 

Since Steve had already stuffed his few boxes of possessions into his car, he offered to drive them to Bucky’s place after finishing their drinks. Bucky lived in an apartment on a quieter side of Brooklyn, nothing extravagant, but elegant with a Victorian façade. It even had crown molding throughout. Steve whistled once he stepped inside and lowered his box.

“Wow, this is nicer than I thought it would be.”

“What were you expecting, a dump?” Bucky sneered as he placed one of Steve’s boxes on the floor.

“Not exactly… How are you affording this place?”

“Steve, I’ve been working since the 1950’s. And ever hear of something called inflation?”

“Ha-ha, you’re not funny. Why do you need a roommate then?” Steve side-eyed him, with a mischievous glint.

“I spend half my salary on food. Leading the life of a monk, remember?” Bucky answered sullenly.

“Okay, okay. Didn’t mean anything by it,” Steve raised his palms in surrender. “By the way, your last name is Barnes?”

“Yeah, that was the name of the family I was born into.”

“Huh. So you were mortal too?”

“Nope, got abandoned when I showed demonic signs.”

“Oh.”

Steve sagged his shoulders and focused on carefully picking up his boxes. He knew he didn’t do anything wrong, but every question he asked seemed to reveal another unfortunate aspect of Bucky’s life.

“Oh, get a grip, Steve. Do I look like that bothers me? I may look all sweet and cute, but I _am_ a demon.”

“No one said you look sweet and cute,” Steve retorted.

“I know. _I’m_ saying I look sweet and cute,” answered Bucky with a saucy wink.

Steve shook his head good-naturedly while Bucky giggled at his own audacity. It felt nice to be playful. He was usually easygoing and fun only with his clients at work. While it _was_ his idea to have Steve as a roommate, he had been wondering if it had been a mistake; he wasn’t completely a reckless moron. But the way things were going, he began to think it might be the start of a friendship – his first and, hopefully, lasting.

 

Steve moved into the other room across the living room. Bucky had been uninspired to utilize it, so it had remained empty, though cleaned regularly to shoo away the occasional spiders. He gave Steve some extra blankets and pillows for a makeshift bed and let him know that he was welcome to anything else he might need. He let Steve organize his few belongings in peace, as the rest of the apartment was self-explanatory. After ordering Chinese delivery (Steve’s treat), they added “Steve Rogers” on the nameplate and clinked bottles of beer in a little celebration.

They watched some shows on TV until Bucky had to get ready for bed. He had work in the morning again. His shifts were usually in the morning, much to Bucky’s chagrin. Like most mythical creatures of the night, he was _not_ an early bird.

 

Bucky groggily woke up at 7 and was heading to the bathroom when he saw Steve making coffee. He had to stop and stare for a moment, because he had carelessly forgotten how gorgeous Steve was. Though, somewhere in his brain, he remarked how ridiculous it was for anyone to look that good this early. The guy was wearing a tight running shirt and his face was glistening with a thin sheen of sweat, for chrissakes. And behind the counter, Bucky got the slightest glimpse of Steve’s toned butt in the running sweats. Steve caught his eye and pulled up a corner of his lips in greeting. Bucky grumbled a small “morning” and made a beeline to the bathroom.

Immediately upon entering, Bucky turned on the cold-water tap and brutally splashed his face. Yes, Steve was hot. Yes, Bucky was an incubus and kinda turned on by that. But no, Steve’s a friend and he rejected him once already. Besides, unless Bucky successfully seduced someone on his own, it was all a pointless game. And judging by how he had outstandingly failed at doing so first time around, there was no way Steve would want anything to do with him. Bucky also _really_ wanted to try having a friend and he knew that wasn’t going to happen if Steve felt his chastity threatened every so often.

Bucky calmed down and patted himself mentally for attempting friendship. Incubi weren’t a popular choice for friends, most demons weren’t in general, but Steve didn’t seem to mind, so this was Bucky’s chance. And he was going to give it his best, damn it.

In his bedroom, he got dressed in his usual work outfit (tight leather jeans, t-shirt, and a leather jacket) and went to the kitchen for breakfast. Steve was still there, sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper. Bucky rolled his eyes; of course Steve Rogers would read the fucking _newspaper_.

“Hey there, grandpa, anything interesting in ye olde newspaper?”

“What, you young whippersnappers don’t read the news?” Steve teased.

“No, I watch it, like everyone else,” Bucky rolled his eyes. He may technically be older than Steve, but Bucky was nothing without his petulance. “Where did you get it anyways?”

“I picked it up on my way back from the run.” Steve lifted the pot in invitation and asked, “By the way, how old is this coffee maker? It looks ancient… I literally unearthed it from the cupboards.”

“Ah,” said Bucky as he gratefully nodded and let Steve pour some for him. “I think Carter was president when I bought that,” mused Bucky. After a sip and a satisfied sigh, he began to make four bagel sandwiches. Then he saw Steve’s worried face out the corner of his eye. “I _told_ you! I didn’t try anything with other presidents! Spontaneous apparition’s illegal, for one. Not to mention all the security! Goodness, Steve…”

Coughing a little, but inexplicably relieved, Steve eyed the sandwiches being produced.

“So that’s how much you gotta eat to survive, huh?”

“Yep, I could eat more, but I wait until lunch break to go all out.”

“You going to work now?”

“Mhm.”

It was just some cream cheese and little bit of lox (the only thing he allowed himself to splurge on), but he eagerly took a bite after he completed all four. As Bucky chewed on his sandwich, Steve scanned his clothes.

“So… Where _do_ you work?”

“The Red Room Boudoir, just downtown Brooklyn.”

Steve just hummed in response. He was intently contemplating something. He wanted to ask another question, but he didn’t want to offend Bucky like he had inadvertently, but repeatedly, done in the past. Curiosity got better of him in the end, however.

“Are you… are you, by chance, an exotic, uh, dancer…?”

Bucky ceased his chewing and stared at Steve. He couldn’t believe his ears. A _what_? At least Steve was respectful about it, he guessed. He wasn’t exactly offended, but it was _so_ out of the blue. He swallowed the remainder of the sandwich in his mouth.

“What the actual fuck? Where’d you come up with that? And if I was, why the _hell_ would I be going in at 8-fucking-AM??”

“Uh, I don’t know… Sorry… The name just sounds kind of like, you know, a ‘club’… And I mean… Your outfit isn’t exactly regular work attire, is it?”

Steve was glad that he hadn’t said what he was originally thinking.

“Oh my god… You fuckin’ meatball. The Red Room Boudoir, Luxury Pet Salon?? You’ve never heard of it? We’re kind of famous around here.” Steve flushed furiously as soon as he’d heard ‘pet salon.’

“Oh god… I’m so sorry… No, I’ve never heard of it. Haven’t really been out much, to be honest…” He scratched his head. Bucky backed down at that.

“Right. Sorry.”

“No, no… So a pet salon, huh? Are you a dog groomer?”

“We prefer ‘pet stylist.’ I do dogs too, but officially, I’m the head feline stylist,” Bucky puffed slightly.

“Wow. That’s pretty impressive. Do you like cats more?”

“A little. It’s more that my demonic charm affects cats more than humans and they become docile enough for me to groom them. It’s a nightmare for anyone else to try though.”

“I see…” Steve paused. “Again, I’m sorry… I just, the name, and… I had no idea,” Steve fumbled.

“It’s called that because all the walls are red. You’re not completely wrong, I guess. It used to be a lingerie shop before our salon bought the property.”

“Aha! I knew it,” Steve cried triumphantly.

“Still, doesn’t excuse you for assuming things.”

“Yes, I’m really sorry. I swear it’s not because you’re an incubus. The name really just kind of gave me all these… ideas. I mean, come on, ‘boudoir’?”

“It’s upscale! Fancy as fuck! Our clientele are mostly rich people pets!”

“Fine, whatever.”

Steve was still red in the face and Bucky was ecstatic. He was loving his turn to bask in Steve’s humiliation. When he looked at the clock, though, he saw that he was going to be late for his first client’s appointment if he didn’t immediately get his leathery ass out the door. He wrapped the one sandwich he didn’t get to finish in paper towel to take with him and bid Steve a swift farewell. Bucky made a lot of noise as he bounced around the apartment to gather his things and leave, so it became almost eerily quiet once the door slammed shut.

Steve shook his head at the disaster of a guy his new roommate was. Then he quickly remembered his own rash jump to conclusions and cringed. It really wasn’t because Bucky was an incubus. The name was extremely provocative, in his opinion, and all the leather in Bucky’s _tight_ outfit… It was accentuating certain _features_ … Well, ‘male dominatrix’ had flashed in his brain initially. But considering Bucky’s actual job, he probably wore leather to easily clean off all the animal hair. Steve cringed again.

  

Despite their own reservations about the new arrangement, Steve and Bucky found each other to be excellent roommates. Steve was as neat and clean as Bucky had expected, and although Bucky’s own room constantly resembled the aftermath of a natural disaster, he kept the communal areas clean.

Now that Steve was no longer ‘hospitalized,’ he returned full-time to his own job, too, though he was already quite capable of paying the rent as promised and sharing the burden of their elephantine groceries. He didn’t need to go in regularly, like Bucky, instead assigned on trips for a few days or go in randomly whenever he was needed at work. Steve never explicitly stated what he did, just mentioned that it was somewhat related to his old army stint, and Bucky never pried. It wasn’t that important to him anyways. When they had off-days together, they hung out, watching movies or going out to eat.

They talked and got to know each other better, too. It turned out that Steve also wasn’t a social butterfly; he didn’t have many friends before he became an angel and the only “friends” he had now were more co-workers. He liked them all, of course, but they never had opportunities to really spend time together and he was shy. Bucky was delighted to learn of it, not because he found a loner comrade, but because he felt like they were actually on even ground. And he now understood why Steve was sometimes cautious around him, too. There was no need for Bucky to tread on eggshells anymore, thinking one tiny wrong move would revoke his friendship privileges.

 

Steve, on the other hand, continued on his road to discovering all the dreadful details of Bucky’s past. Bucky had bounced between orphanages as a child, no one wanting to keep him too long, lest he unleashed his demonic powers on them. When he had been too old to be in an institution, he lived in caves, with stolen clothes and food to survive. Incubi weren’t considered fully-grown until they had lived at least half a century, not starting temptation until then. As Steve knew already, Bucky had a sparse number of successful hunts as a mature incubus, until he was forcefully imprisoned and enlisted. Steve didn’t need to be told about the discrimination Bucky received due to his species. He was well aware of the prejudice against the darker supernaturals, especially the sexual, since the negative opinion was still prevalent despite the legal protections. 

However, Steve did find out some positive facets of Bucky, which was that Bucky loved to play piano and sing. The vampire in his Special Forces Unit had been a pianist and taught Bucky how to play when they were allowed precious respites in bars. When he got out, he had taken some lessons, too, but always stopped short, since Bucky could never stay in one place for long; living with mortals got awkward when he didn’t age a day. But he had plans to stay in Brooklyn for as long as he wanted. Now that supernaturals were more accepted, he didn’t have to worry about questions regarding his eternal youth.

“My salon knows I’m an immortal,” said Bucky. “I didn’t tell them exactly _what_ I was. I don’t want any weird questions, so I try to keep my distance. They call me the Quiet Elf, ‘cause I’m quiet and I work hard!” said Bucky proudly.

“Quiet? They really don’t know you at all, do they?” snorted Steve.

“Fuck you. They said I’m _enigmatic_! The customers like my ‘air of mystery’ apparently, _and_ how I style their kitties. So the salon ain’t complaining,” grinned Bucky smugly.

They were fast becoming the friends Bucky had longed for and he couldn’t be more excited. To his great surprise, Steve seemed to like him _and_ his company. Unlike other humans and supernaturals, Steve wasn’t bothered by the fact Bucky was an incubus. Bucky was doing his best to not to make even innuendos anyway, but it was probably more thanks to their first disastrous encounter that assured Steve of Bucky’s complete lack of seductive abilities. Though, Steve did privately think that he wouldn’t mind succumbing to the incubus…

  

Bucky was out on his ‘hunt,’ when Steve had a sudden inkling for one or five of those falafel sandwiches at the little joint on the next street. It was the first time Bucky had gone out since Steve moved in, but he figured it’d be a while before Bucky came back, if he did come back at all. Steve got his jacket on and took the keys out of the bowl, whistling to himself as he made his way out. He was passing by a rowdy bar when he heard a commotion in the alley.

“Ladies, please, I didn’t mean anything!”

“We’re sick of men like you being predators!”

It was Bucky, surrounded by five women. They all had their arms crossed, glaring daggers at him.

“Please, I swear, I’m just horrible at flirting…” Bucky pleaded desperately.

“Yeah, right. Don’t give us that bullshit. ‘Your ass is out of this world’??” The women weren’t convinced and another derisively added, “We don’t need men to objectify us like that!”

As they all very aggressively chided him, Steve saw that they were actually _fuming_ … The angrier they got, the mistier it got around them. He realized they were river nymphs, legendary in the past for disliking men, and nowadays, for being prominent feminists.

Steve face-palmed at what kind of appalling pick-up line Bucky must have used tonight. He contemplated just leaving, in order to save Bucky some dignity, as the nymphs didn’t seem violent; just furious and intent on teaching Bucky a lesson. And Bucky was a pretty big guy himself, he’d survive whatever attacks they might choose to serve him. But Bucky looked completely distraught. Being the target of sexual assault and discrimination as well, Bucky would never purposely disrespect anyone. He just had the worst luck, it would seem, in choosing flirtation techniques and their recipients. Whereas most others would simply groan at the outdated pick-up line, these ladies had not been amused. 

Steve pitied Bucky, but he had to admit the ladies were rightfully angry. Nymphs or otherwise, they probably experienced numerous harassments from guys with more nefarious ulterior motives. Of course, Bucky’s intentions could be considered equally bad, but he never pursued someone if they didn’t consent, legal obligations aside. Searching Bucky’s face, Steve saw that Bucky was internally berating himself for his stupidity and didn’t have the heart to leave him.

“Excuse me, ladies. Is something wrong?” Steve prompted, brimming with respect and concern.

“We’re just teaching this guy to respect women!” one said contemptuously.

“Ah I see,” said Steve, as he incrementally approached Bucky, keeping eye contact with the nymphs to make sure he was allowed. He pulled Bucky up and suggested, “Bucky, why don’t you apologize? I know you didn’t mean it, but it doesn’t make it okay, you know?” Then to the frowning women he added, “He’s my friend. He’s not the greatest with words. I’m really sorry if he offended you.”

Spluttering, Bucky said, “I’m sorry… Really, I am. I didn’t meant it that way, at all…”

After silently deliberating with each other, the women thankfully deemed Bucky’s apology as sincere and relented. They loosened their posture and gave Bucky one last warning, but otherwise returned to the bar peacefully. Steve sighed with relief.

“Bucky, what were you thinking??”

“Do you need to ask?? You _know_ I suck at this. I read that you should be funny when you flirt. I thought that line was hilarious! ‘Are those space pants, because your ass is outta this world!’ Isn’t it funny? Tell me it’s funny, Steve.”

“Um, sorta?” Steve tried. “Either way, you need to be careful. If you aren’t sure about it, best to avoid it completely. Why do you use those kinds of pick-up lines, anyways?” Steve asked, releasing Bucky to walk on his own. Bucky shook his jacket and brushed his pants, where he had dirtied them.

“I don’t know,” Bucky shrugged. “I don’t know how to talk to random people. In the old days, we just materialized in someone’s bedroom and we could at least use pheromones and stuff. All that’s been outlawed, you know? Now I have to _talk_ to them and get them to _like_ me. I’m kinda awkward, Steve, if you haven’t noticed.”

Actually, Steve hadn’t noticed. Bucky was a smooth-talker, always prepared with a comeback to sass Steve when they were home. But they were friends and Steve understood that it’s different. Steve nodded and clapped Bucky’s shoulder in understanding. As they walked silently, Bucky suddenly raised his head. 

“How did you find me anyways? How did you know?”

“Huh? Oh. I didn’t know. I was just on my way to get some falafels.”

“Hungry again? Jesus, I think you eat more than me!” Bucky laughed, making Steve blush. He knew he ate like a baby elephant, but he just couldn’t help it.

“Shut up, jerk. Are you gonna get ‘em with me or not?”

“Of course I will,” winked Bucky.

 

Bucky took another hiatus from hunting after that night. And when he decided to dive back, he noticed a few strange phenomena. Firstly… Bucky somehow had trouble getting motivated enough to go out and hunt much since living with Steve. He wouldn’t exactly say it was Steve’s fault, except that they did become heavily invested in “Game of Thrones” and “Parks and Recreation,” simultaneously. However, even more odd was that Bucky’s flirting technique seemed to have deteriorated, though Steve tried helping him after the last time, reminding him to choose his tactics with caution (“Do NOT ask if you can _Slytherin_ their bed”). Truthfully, Bucky couldn’t have imagined that he’d be any worse at flirting, but here he was. And then, the weirdest thing was, every time he went out – and he always fucked it up somehow – Steve always appeared out of nowhere to save his sorry ass.

“Are you secretly stalking me?” asked Bucky one night, after another failed endeavor. They were going to get kimchi tacos tonight.

“What? Why do you say that?” Steve scoffed.

“Because, you always show up when I’m getting my metaphorical ass kicked.”

“Why do you always get your ass kicked when I’m about to get myself a snack?” retorted Steve. “It makes me hungrier and I have to get more food!”

Bucky cackled. As Steve had explained, the serum that made him bigger also increased his metabolism, making him eat almost as much as Bucky, if not more. He wouldn’t ever die of hunger, obviously, but he did get _extremely_ irritable, as Bucky and some unfortunate human guys learned one night. Scarfing down a satisfying midnight snack (read: another meal) made them both feel better though, so it wasn’t that Bucky was complaining. It worked out nicely, really, as Bucky was hungry too, from the emotional exhaustion of being rejected and the absence of fulfilling sex. It was just becoming a bit uncanny how Steve just _knew_ when Bucky was in distress. Neither of them seemed to know the real answer, however, so they settled that it was simply one of Steve’s guardian angel-y quirks.

 

As usual, Bucky came home in the evening and found Steve making dinner. Dinner tonight was a large pot of spaghetti, with one whole buttered baguette per person. Steve wasn’t an extraordinary cook, but his food tasted homey and it was loads better than what Bucky could do. Bucky tended to consume food in their plain ingredient form, instead of toiling to make an actual dish.

The spaghetti was satisfying (no leftovers), but Bucky had a craving for something more tonight. He hadn’t gone out at all lately and was getting slightly restless from the built up tension. He did the dishes as always (“You Don’t Cook, You Do Dishes” was their rule) and announced that he was going out. Steve stood up from where he was doodling and came over to Bucky as he pulled his leather jacket on.

“Wait,” Steve said and stepped right in front of him and lifted one hand toward his face. Bucky stared at him in question. He mouthed “what,” but kept still. Steve didn’t answer and only held Bucky’s shoulder with the other hand. His face was thoughtful and concentrated. Steve brushed his lifted fingers, ever so gently, over Bucky’s forehead. It was an ephemeral moment, but like a dramatic slow-motion film sequence, the seconds seemed to tick by sluggishly, as if loaded with something.

“You had cat hair,” Steve said quietly and smiled. Bucky blinked, waking from his momentary trance.

“Oh. Why didn’t you tell me earlier, then??” Bucky sounded more annoyed than he intended, but seriously, why didn’t he tell him during dinner?

“I didn’t know you were going out,” shrugged Steve. “I figured you’d wash your face later.”

“You coulda just told me to pick it off myself.”

“Well, I didn’t want it to poke you in the eye, did I? Goodness, what do I have to do to get a little ‘thanks’ around here?”

“I said that for dinner!”

Steve just walked away laughing, back to the couch and his sketchpad. Bucky grumbled and grabbed his keys from the glass bowl by the door.

“Alright. Thanks for making me cat hair-free, _mom_. I’ll see you later, probably,” said Bucky and left after hearing Steve’s distracted hum. Bucky stomped down a few flights before he stopped to ask himself why he was annoyed. He didn’t really know. _Yes, you do_ , his brain jibed; _fine_ , he admitted. The thing was, he didn’t mind being cared for like that, enjoyed it really, but he could have done with out all the anticipation Steve created. It wasn’t like Bucky expected Steve to _kiss_ him, or anything. Preposterous! It was just… too dramatic. Slowly inching closer without breaking intense eye contact was just the kind of theatrics Bucky detested. It’s so stupid, right? And all that to just get cat hair off! Bucky harrumphed and continued down the stairs, while his senseless, silly heart still hammered excitedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! And the air was loaded with tension... *cough* sexual *cough*  
> And I apologize, it's so cheesy..! XD  
> Any form of acknowledgement is greatly appreciated! :D [*tumblr*](http://daslebensmittel.tumblr.com)  
>   
> *For[The Stucky Library](http://thestuckylibrary.tumblr.com) Stucky Big Bang 2016.  
> Title from: [Bad Habit - The Kooks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tUh-x-fp8Q)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter, the Avengers!

Bucky stepped out of his building and skipped down the steps to the pavement. It had been a while and he was jittery with equal parts of excitement and fear. He was going to try a karaoke bar this evening –less crowded and more relaxed. Besides, maybe he could serenade someone (…bad idea). He wasn’t keen on going on pilgrimages in search of untested waters, instead preferred to rotate his visits to smaller bars within the vicinity. He mentally mapped the one not too far away from the neighborhood that he’d gone to couple months ago. Bucky sped up his gait. It was getting chillier as the year progressed.

He entered the bar and promptly searched for a possible target. On the stage, there was a guy with silvery locks (probably a unicorn) crooning a Michael Bublé song, with swooning women and men all around him. Snootily, and definitely a little jealously, ignoring the swarm of sighs, Bucky searched on. Near the entrance, a man sat alone, nursing a mug of beer. He seemed to be a human in his forties, quite fit and sporting a nice five-o’clock shadow. He also didn’t seem like the friendliest of men, possibly the reason behind his solitude; but sometimes, those kinds were more feasible for Bucky. Hunting seemed to make all his people skills suddenly evaporate, and mutual awkwardness was easier to handle.  
  
Bucky approached the table and got the man’s attention. He looked up at Bucky with annoyance for disrupting his brooding silence.  
  
“He-y there. M-mind if I join you?” Bucky was still shivering from the cold.  
  
“Yes. I do, in fact, mind. So fuck off.”  
  
Bucky was aghast at such explicit rudeness, but thought he’d give it just one more attempt.  
  
“Oh, come on, man. I’m sure you could use some company?” Bucky tried, sounding more uncertain and whiny than he’d like.  
  
“No, I don’t fucking need company. What the fuck’s matter with… Oh. You’re one of those, aren’t ya?” the man sneered.  
  
“Um, a what?” Bucky fidgeted.  
  
“A succubus, incubus, or siren, whatever the fuck you vile things are called.”  
  
“Uh…” Bucky scowled.  
  
“I’ve never seen one so pathetic as you though. Jesus, you’re as smooth as fucking sandpaper!” The man barked out in laughter. He guffawed to the point where other patrons were looking over. Some that had overheard them whispered among themselves. Bucky blushed furiously. Sure, he’d been rejected numerously, most of them uncomfortably replying “no thanks” and slowly sidestepping away from him, or maybe get mad at him like the river nymphs (lately, he seemed to be offending many with his lines), but never had he been so disrespected and humiliated like this before.

“Listen, _pal._ You can say ‘no’ to me, but you don’t gotta be a goddamn asshole about it!”

“What did you call me?” The man stood and approached Bucky threateningly.  
  
“I said you’re an _asshole,”_ Bucky pronounced boldly. Without warning, the man grabbed Bucky’s collar and dragged him outside. He jostled Bucky around roughly until he hit the wall.  
  
“You good-for-nothing demon, you don’t even know how to do your fucking job as one! Don’t you fucking call _me_ an asshole!”  
  
Bucky clinched his eyes shut, as the man swung his arm, ready to punch him in the face.

“Hey! What are you doing?! Let him go!”  
  
Someone rushed over to them and pulled the volatile man off Bucky. Bucky cautiously opened one eye. It was Steve, as always. The man surveyed Steve. Steve rarely became too angry, so Bucky hadn’t known, but the fury of an angel was just as menacing as a demon’s. The man recoiled microscopically from the rage exuding from Steve. He cursed and glared at Bucky, then hurriedly retreated inside. Bucky heaved labored breaths and took the offered hand from Steve to stand.

“What the hell…” Bucky muttered.  
  
“That’s my line. What happened, Buck?”  
  
“Well, I was trying to do my thing, and the guy was being a huge prick about it. Insulting me and other supernaturals like me,” Bucky groused.  
  
“Oh, I see. Maybe I _should’ve_ punched him,” bit out Steve, as his still fiery gaze flickered to the bar.  
  
“Nah, forget it. Don’t waste your time. You hungry again?”  
  
“Had a sudden craving for a dessert,” Steve quickly turned pink. “I thought I’d get some ice cream from that gelato place around here. Wanna come?”  
  
“Yeah, alright,” agreed Bucky. His motivation to hunt had been sufficiently smothered by then.

 

They each got a pint of ice cream and returned home in significantly better moods. Steve didn’t have the level of sweet tooth Bucky had, but he still relished his pecan praline with passionate adoration. Bucky sat down on the couch with Steve with his own tub of double fudge brownie ice cream. The warmth and comfort of his apartment welcomed him back and he wondered why he ever left the place.

“You know, I meant to suggest it earlier,” began Steve. He paused, obviously choosing his words carefully. “And trust me, I’m not judging your kind or the people with such jobs, but have you considered actually working as an exotic dancer or…” Steve hesitated.  
  
“Or what?” prompted Bucky with curiosity, as he licked his spoon.  
  
“Um, an escort?” Steve tried cautiously. “Sex worker, maybe? That’s what others do, right? I mean, there are establishments online and stuff nowadays,” Steve suggested matter-of-factly.  
  
“Steve, I can’t get people to sleep with me for _free._ How well do you think that’ll go if I ask for money??”  
  
“…Good point. How about the hospital again? Or somewhere else that’s not a bar?”  
  
“Too many liabilities,” Bucky shuddered, recollecting the terrifying nurse. “There’s a reason no one flirts in unorthodox places, Steve. And I'm only free in the evenings.”  
  
“How about a different job? Maybe one with more supernaturals? You could network.”  
  
“I like my current job just fine,” Bucky thought for a moment then continued, “Hey man, I appreciate the thought, but the thing is… I’m just… I’m just a plain ol’ fuck up, Steve. A joke. An incubus that can’t get fucking laid! It doesn’t matter if I _look_ attractive, because _I’m_ not attractive. Trust me, I’ve done anything I thought would help, but _I’m_ the only issue here,” Bucky laughed bitterly and furrowed his eyebrows in attempt to hold off the wave of tears. Any other day, he was fine with joking about it, but some days it just got to him that he couldn’t do what he was made to do. Forget the prohibited magic or whatever, he hadn’t been that much better when there weren’t any regulations for his kind. It didn’t help that a major cockwaffle struck a nerve, either.

“Bucky… Hey. Listen. Don’t say you aren’t attractive! Of course you are. And just because you were born as one thing, doesn’t mean you have to _be_ exactly that, you know. There are plenty of people who go against the grain. There’s this guy I work with, Tony. He’s a dragon, and according to his kind, he should be an accountant or a banker, anything dealing with money. But you know what? He’s an engineer! And a successful one, too,” Steve gave Bucky a small smile, which he couldn’t help but return.

“Look, you can’t change the fact that you’re an incubus, right? So why try so hard to be one? You can do anything you want, Buck. Be anyone you want to be. Of course, you can try to do regular incubus-y things, but you don’t gotta be so hard on yourself when it goes belly-up. It’s not like you have an incubus committee grading you or anything?”

Bucky burst with laughter at the image of stern-looking incubi, in suits and glasses, disapprovingly judging his seduction attempts on a clipboard. Steve was right, though. He may not be the most talented incubus ever, but he also didn’t want to seduce someone _he_ didn’t want, anyway. He obviously was able to support himself the food he needed and most of the time, he was happy, grooming those fancy cats and hanging out with Steve – but Bucky dismissed the fact that those two things came up first in his mind, out of all the things that made him happy.

“You’re right. Of course you’re fuckin’ right,” Bucky tugged his mouth up. Steve mirrored him.  
  
“Need I remind you? You’re the head feline stylist! That probably means you’re the best goddamn one in Brooklyn. Possibly in all of New York state! Nay, in _America!”_ Steve declared.  
  
“Oh god, please stop,” begged Bucky, choking with laughter. Steve was being melodramatic, but Bucky couldn’t help but appreciate the determination to cheer him up anyway.  
  
“Really. I don’t know any supernatural who has that kind of affinity. You’re one of a kind, Buck.”

Bucky’s face colored. He wanted to hug Steve. He wasn’t used to such earnest compliments and his heart was overflowing with gratitude and affection. Steve smiled at Bucky being bashful and clapped his knee.

“As the kids say nowadays, you do you, Buck. You’re a great guy, incubus or otherwise.”

Bucky placed his empty gelato tub on the coffee table. Wordlessly, he took Steve’s out of his hands and put it next to his.

“…Give me a hug, dude. I need a hug.”

“Then come here, ya big lug,” Steve smiled. He breathed out “oomph” as Bucky nearly tackled him, and laughed, hugging Bucky back. Bucky wanted to let his tears flow, this time for an entirely different reason, but kept it to himself. He didn’t want to ruin the moment by being excessively sentimental. Instead, he whispered to Steve,

“That means a lot to me.”

“I know,” Steve answered. “It’s unfair how the world treats you.”

They gave each other another squeeze on the shoulder and broke apart. They looked and smiled at each other: Steve’s encouraging, Bucky’s appreciative.

“Well, I better go to bed. Another full day tomorrow,” said Bucky.

“Yeah? You’ve been working a lot lately.” With a cocked eyebrow and a smirk, he asked, “Are you actually the best in America and everyone’s coming to you, or is something going on?”

“Nah,” Bucky chuckled. “There’s a cat show in a few months, so the contenders are coming in to try out styles before settling on one.”

“Do you have to go groom them all for the competition??”

“Hell no. The owners do it themselves. Coming to me first is for reference,” Bucky replied nonchalantly, but Steve could sense the tinge of pride.

Truthfully, what Steve had said wasn’t simple flattery. Most supernaturals stuck to their natural tendencies when seeking employment among humans. There were exceptions, of course, but they never veered too far off from instinct. It truly was rare that a supernatural would deviate and use their talents in such an unexpected career. Bucky, too, had discovered his hidden appeal to cats only when a bunch of them followed him around whenever he cut through a park. He knew Bucky secretly loved the job, but Steve was glad that he could remind Bucky to take pride in it, too.

“Anyway… Thank again, man. You sure you ain’t a therapist?”

“Nah,” laughed Steve. “Speaking of which… Would you like to come to work with me this weekend?” Bucky jumped a little at the proposition.

“What?? I’m allowed?”

“Sure you are. What do you mean?”

“But… You never talk about your job.”

“Oh… Right.”

“What’s the occasion? Is it ‘Take your roomie to work’ Day?”

“No, though that’s not a bad idea,” Steve smiled. “I just thought you might want to meet some other supernaturals.”

“That’d be awesome! How come you never told me about your work?”

“Yeah… Sorry ‘bout that. So, do you know the Avengers?” Steve blushed as he said the name. The group didn’t embarrass him, but the name did, slightly. Holding in his giggles, Bucky nodded. “It started when I first joined the army. Like you’d said, no one knew about your Special Forces,” Steve said apologetically. Bucky waved him off.

“But Peggy and a colleague of hers, who happens to be Tony’s dad, also thought a group of supernaturals could do some national security work for the country. Thought it was a good idea, and seventy some years later, here we are, with new members and all that.”

“I see. So you’re supposed to keep your anonymity, huh? Is it really okay that I know?”

“It’s fine. I mean, look at Tony, he’s all over the place,” said Steve contemptuously.

“What do you… OH, you mean your dragon co-worker is that billionaire-playboy-philanthropist, Tony _Stark??”_

“Good lord…” Steve shuddered. “Please don’t call him that. He already has an ego bigger than his ugly tower.” Bucky sniggered. Tony Stark was notorious for his flashy persona, but also immensely popular due to his innovative technology and annoyingly lovable charm. The rest of the Avengers were less known, only on the news when there was a national emergency, but were still quite admired, too.

“Wait… Which one are you?? Are you Thor???”

Steve doubled over, laughing. “I’ll have to tell him about that. I’m definitely not offended. I’m… Captain America,” Steve blushed again. These names were created in the 40s and he hadn’t thought ahead to predict how minutely embarrassing they’d be, decades later.

“Wow. Just,” Bucky shook his head, “WOW. That’s cool! But _you_ like to be incognito, don’t you? I don’t think anyone’s seen you without your uniform.”

“Ah, well. Yeah, a little. I don’t like to be in the spotlight much. Off-duty, I usually camped out at the hospital, or Clint’s farm, occasionally. That’s Hawkeye,” Steve informed at Bucky’s puzzled expression. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I’m not in the habit of disclosing that to people. It’s not that I didn’t trust you or anything.”

“No worries, man,” Bucky patted his shoulder. If Bucky had learned anything about Steve while living with him, it was that Steve was extremely cautious. Always making sure to respect personal spaces and in return, guarding his own, too. As open and relaxed as Steve had been with Bucky, there was always a sense of holding back. Bucky understood, though; the guy had gone through stuff. Knowing that, Bucky was floored by Steve’s willingness to share so much with him. He was trusting Bucky to not take advantage of Steve for who and what he was, just like Steve hadn’t with him. Bucky felt pretty triumphant while in bed and fell asleep with a lingering smile on his lips.

 

Bucky usually woke up around noon on days off if he could help it, but this Saturday, he woke up at, god forbid, 10 AM. Bucky garbled an answer when Steve knocked on his door, to confirm that he was still coming. He had to wake up at godforsaken hours for work and he demanded appropriate sleep compensation on off days, but he also didn’t want to miss this special opportunity. Grumbling, he willed himself to get ready and be presentable.

They had just a little brunch (five bananas and four pb&j sandwiches each), as they were invited to have lunch at the tower, and headed out together. As taking their own vehicle downtown on a weekend (or any other day, really) was the worst idea ever, they took the subway to Manhattan and walked the rest of the way to the tower. Steve had said it was ugly, but Bucky kind of liked the sleek, modern design. He guessed Steve’s opinion was biased more because of the building’s owner.

 

“Good morning, captain,” greeted a woman standing by the empty reception desk. She was smartly dressed and had an official air about her. She already had a stack of files on the desk, but was still looking for more in the drawers.

“Hey, Maria. This is my friend Bucky Barnes.”

“Ah, yes. Mr. Stark notified me yesterday. Nice to meet you, Mr. Barnes.”

“Nice to meet you, too. And Bucky’s fine,” he replied, shaking her offered hand.

“Maria is the deputy director here. Are you joining us today for lunch, Maria?” asked Steve.

“I’m afraid not, Steve. I’ve got a meeting with Director Fury in an hour.”

“Aw, too bad. Have fun in hell!” Steve said brightly. Maria just rolled her eyes.

As they walked to the elevators, Bucky asked, “The director’s a hard-ass, huh?”

“That’s one way to put it. She’s not actually going to Hell, but Fury _is_ a devil and doesn’t fuck around. Pardon my language.” Bucky scoffed.

“What’s a devil doing, running a government organization??”

“They gotta make money, too, Buck. And Fury is as cunning as they come. He’ll do whatever it takes to keep his business running. There’s apparently great profit to be made in taking over a government military group and shaping them into the best guards in the world,” chuckled Steve.

“Weird,” Bucky commented. Steve hummed in agreement as the elevator announced their arrival.

The elevator doors slid open. Steve and Bucky stepped out into a luxurious lounge, with a full bar, multiple sets of sofas, and various entertainment centers scattered about. The Avengers, too, were scattered. Some sat on the sofas, pretending to read magazines, some were at the pool table, pretending to be engrossed in the game. But Tony, at the bar, immediately looked up to see them and left his post to approach them.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Captain Hermit and his mysterious _guest.”_

Giving up their pretense, the rest of the Avengers gathered around them for a closer look. They were fond of Steve, but he liked his privacy and they had respected that. The Avengers’ monthly meeting, unbeknownst to Steve, was more an excuse to drag Steve out of his lair for some fresh air and socialization. So when Steve requested permission to bring a guest, a most unusual event, their interests were piqued. Very piqued.

“Hey guys, this is Bucky, my friend and roommate.”

“Is ‘roommate’ a euphemism…?” started Tony, before Pepper slapped him.

Bucky waved a small hello and they went around introducing themselves. Bucky knew about Tony already, but apparently his wife, Pepper, was another angel, though not a guardian angel like Steve. She wasn’t part of the Avengers, instead managing their PR and everything else regarding Stark’s enterprises, first and foremost, keeping Tony under control. Natasha, a stunning redheaded assassin, was a siren. She smugly explained that her powers frequently came in handy when she lured enemies to eliminate them. Clint, another assassin, was an archer and a very goofy human, but he had trained at a young age and was equally indispensible as the rest. Bruce was a werewolf, but he had the sweetest disposition out of all of them. He also was the team doctor and Tony’s partner in research. Thor, the dashing demi-god, gave Bucky a bone-crushing hug before he introduced himself. Lastly, a friendly black man held out his hand and smiled handsomely.

“Nice to meet you, Bucky. I’m Sam, a griffin. I’m the sanest one out of these crazies.” Bucky laughed. Sam continued, “No, I’m being serious. Except for maybe Pepper.” The others all made an offended noise.

“So, we hear you’re also a supernatural. Would it be okay to ask…?” inquired Pepper.

“Um, I’m an incubus,” answered Bucky a little hesitantly. He wasn’t ashamed of what he was, but that hadn’t necessarily stopped others from judging him.

“Nice,” commented Clint.

“Incubus, eh?” asked Tony. He eyed Bucky suspiciously. “Ow!” Pepper slapped him again.

“I’m gonna have to ask you not to judge him because of that. He already gets enough from others,” sighed Steve.

“I’m sorry, Bucky. Tony’s a little jealous that Steve chose a roommate, instead of living here with us,” Pepper explained, smiling.

“I’m NOT jealous,” protested Tony, “I happen to have the best roommate _ever,_ dear wife.”

“Yeah, only because Pepper’s an actual angel. Nobody else woulda put up with you otherwise,” quipped Clint. Pepper and Natasha rolled their eyes as Tony and Clint shoved each other around like toddlers.

Demurely coming forward, Bruce shook Bucky’s hand. Wearing a lab coat over his wrinkled button-down and worn khakis, looking the most harmless out of the lot, Bucky couldn’t picture what he’d be like as a werewolf.

“It’s nice to meet you, Bucky. Really. Cap’s never mentioned a friend before. I apologize if some of us are a bit protective.”

“Oh, it’s no big. I understand. You can rest assured, Steve would never fall for my antics even if I tried!” Bucky replied jestingly. However, Tony and Natasha perked up and glared at him with narrowed eyes, while Steve blushed and covered his.

“Don’t you _dare_ try–“ Tony began.

“We know where you _live–“_ Natasha continued.

“Guys, stop. Firstly, he’s a person, who deserves respect no matter what he is. Secondly, he’s my _friend,_ whom I trust. I think that should be enough for you to treat him with at least a little decency,” Steve growled. He shot Tony and Natasha a demanding look, to which they both reluctantly acquiesced. “Besides, he’s a veteran too. Right, Buck?”

“Yep. Special Forces, Unit 107. The Howling Commandos,” chuckled Bucky. “Sorry, that was the nickname the dumb banshee in our unit came up with. You probably never heard of us anyway,” he shrugged.

“Hold one cotton-picking moment there… The supernatural unit that fought the hydra?” Tony asked, with a cocked brow.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” Bucky was startled. No one was supposed to know about their unit’s existence and what they did. Most of the time, they were in the very front-lines, paving way for the regular soldiers to progress safely. Other times, they had gone to fight the enemy’s own supernatural forces, one of which included a real hydra, smuggled from Greece. It had been their worst battle, the creature being exactly as the legends had described.

“My dad was one of the few dragons willing to volunteer his money and talents to the army, back in the day. He wasn’t included in the important meetings, but he overheard the generals discussing… He wasn’t sure if it were true,” Tony regarded Bucky, silently requesting affirmation. Bucky nodded.

“Yeah, it’s true. We barely escaped, though. The venom from a hydra leaves permanent damages, even to immortals. Some of my unit couldn’t stand the pain and had to… extinguish themselves,” he explained. Bucky solemnly reminisced on his fellow soldiers and the nightmare of a battle they endured. They had been trapped in the valley when the enemies unleashed the hydra upon them. They attacked the creature everywhere away from the head – they were well acquainted with the myth of two heads sprouting from where one was cut. It had been a gruesome battle; the hydra was formidable, biting them with its already numerous heads, and it took them many severely mangled limbs and missed shots before Bucky managed to shoot the dead center of the heart and the beast was slain.

“You killed the hydra?” Thor boomed, impressed. Sam whistled as Clint clapped slowly.

“Yeah, but not before it fucking ruined everyone, including me. Its bite nearly broke my arm in half. Doesn’t hurt anymore, but I still have scars,” said Bucky resentfully. He saw Tony open his mouth. “No, Tony. I’m not going to show you.” Tony clasped his mouth shut, disappointed.

They all watched him with reverence and Bucky felt his cheeks heat. Pepper and Bruce smiled at him warmly. Steve hung his arm around Bucky’s shoulder with the proudest grin. Bucky grinned back weakly.

“Thanks for sharing that with us, Bucky. We’re honored to have you with us,” said Sam kindly.

“Yeah, a true American hero among American heroes!” cried Tony.

“Not all of us are American, Stark,” Natasha pointed out.

“Yeah, but you’re naturalized,” Tony waved her off and received a huff in response. After a moment of silence, Clint gazed around with a suspicious glint in his eyes.

“…Speaking of which, what about Thor? Why are _you_ here, man? Shouldn’t you be in, like, Norway or something?” he asked. Everyone turned to Thor with inclined heads. It seemed like it was the first time anyone had ever questioned it. Thor darted his eyes around, flabbergasted at the sudden accusation. He coughed into his fist and answered, “Study abroad?”

Everyone was speechless, until Bucky started giggling. Steve soon joined in and then everyone was howling with laughter. Bucky had been afraid that he had dampened the mood with his tale. He honored the perished soldiers of his unit, but also didn’t want to dwell on it with people he had just met. He was glad to have the mood lightened and felt much better about his presence among Steve’s friends. Strangely enough, Thor’s answer seemed to satisfy everyone and the matter was completely forgotten.

Pepper excused herself to check on the luncheon, dragging Tony with her. The rest of them dispersed to do whatever business they had before regrouping for the luncheon. Steve also went out to the balcony to receive a call. Suddenly, only Natasha and Bucky were left, sitting on the couch. All alone.

Bucky wasn’t scared of Natasha. Except that he was. She was as intimidating as she was beautiful. Her piercing eyes seemed to criticize Bucky’s every breath. She smiled. It was most discomforting. She was exactly the kind of person who would be a big “nope” on the list of people he’d tempt, or even speak to.

“So, a siren, huh?” Bucky noted casually.

“And an assassin. _Don’t you forget it_.”

“Jesus, I told you, nothing happened!” Well, it was true. Nothing of _significance_ had happened.

“And let’s keep it that way,” leered Natasha. Bucky was wildly reminded of a shark. Evidently, small talk was going to be difficult with her. Then, he had a superb idea for a change of topic. At least, he hoped it was.

“Well, since you’re a siren, I wonder if you could give me some advice?”

“How to flirt with Steve?” She raised an eyebrow.

“What? No,” Bucky said calmly. He did not like the accusatory look on her face. “Seriously. What I wanted to ask was, how do you seduce people?”

“So you _are_ asking about Steve. What did I just tell you–”

“NO, I’m not,” Bucky glowered; it had little effect. He continued exasperatedly. “It’s just, I want to seduce _other people_ and it’s not going that great. Do you have any tips? Since you’re a certified pro and everything?”

Natasha studied him silently.

“Why do you want to do that?”

“Um, I don’t know, maybe because I’m a fucking incubus??”

“You obviously don’t need to.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look, we don’t live in the medieval ages anymore. Everyone knows about us. It’s kind of pointless to trick them now, isn’t it?”

“I guess, but it’s an impulse I can’t really control.”

“Don’t be stupid. You’ve been controlling it just fine, obviously.” She was right, in a way. He consumed enough nutrients to sustain himself and felt less pressured about it all nowadays. Still, it’d be nice to try and be a regular incubus once in a while, doing what he was supposed to do. And if he could hone his skills a bit in case he ever did want to seriously woo someone…

“But…” Bucky began to object, but Natasha only rolled her eyes.

“Bucky, if really wanna get laid, find someone you like. Get to know them and it’ll happen,” she said and Bucky didn’t miss the patronizing tone.

“That’s cute, but can’t you just give me some quick tips? Please? Come on, Nat,” Bucky whined.

“Do not call me that again,” Natasha glared murderously. Then more relaxed, she said, “I don’t do it unless it’s for work. I can’t tell you how; on duty, it naturally happens. Maybe you should consider being more serious about finding those one-night stands.”

Natasha’s words sat on his shoulders like lead. What did she mean? He was always serious about it. To the point of getting nervous! He was shaken out of his thoughts when she suddenly booped his nose and stood to leave.

“I might let it slide,” she said.

“Let what slide?” Bucky asked, perplexed. She didn’t answer him, though, and left the lounge with an ominous grin.

“Let _what_ slide??” Bucky called after her. Only the click of her heels answered him.

A few moments later, Steve came back in. He asked what he and Natasha talked about. “Nothing much,” Bucky shrugged. It was probably best to forget about Natasha and her cryptic spy message. She would undoubtedly find a way to dispose of him, if he even went so far as to try to figure it out.

The rest of the Avengers flocked back in the lounge as well and headed up to the floor above for the luncheon. There were tables of gourmet food, all the platters closely packed together. Everyone picked up a plate and loaded it with their favorites. Bucky definitely hadn’t been unsatisfied with the food at home, but this was of much higher class and he felt like he had gone to food heaven. He took a bite of the tuna roll and moaned a little. Next to him, Steve chuckled.

“You like that, huh?”

“Yeah, way better than your frozen fish filets, for sure,” Bucky smirked. Steve covered his heart with his hand, looking scandalized and hurt.

“How dare you! I guess I won’t cook anymore. Say goodbye to my mediocre food,” Steve even wiped a non-existent tear from his eye. Bucky gulped down his sushi and laughed. He leaned and nuzzled his head on Steve’s shoulder.

“Aw, I’m just kidding, Stevie. You know I love everything you make. In fact, I think you make the best toast in the world,” he said with a wink. Steve rolled his eyes, but he still smiled with a light blush, pleased.

“Come on, now. Keep it PG, fellas.” Bucky and Steve both whipped their necks to turn. It was Tony strolling by with a plate full of just desserts. Steve glared at him, flaring up to give him a piece of his mind. Bucky wasn’t going to stop him either, except it turned out to be unnecessary.

 _“TONY,_ do _not_ make me go over there,” snapped Pepper from the other side the table. Bucky had seen an angel’s fury before, and his opinion of them being absolutely terrifying was renewed, as Pepper’s eyes were alight with anger and communicated unspeakable threats to her husband. Tony cowered and mumbled what vaguely sounded like “sorry” and “just joking” before he scampered off with his tail between his legs. At least he would have, if he were in his dragon form. Bucky was sure of it and sniggered.

The rest of the luncheon flowed pleasantly. Bucky was delighted to make acquaintance with so many other supernaturals. Aside from Tony and Clint’s occasional jabs and Natasha’s unnerving glances, he felt pretty welcomed by the Avengers. He mostly listened and answered questions, as he was unaccustomed to mingling in big groups. Every once in a while, though, he made eye contact with Steve, and the shy little smile Steve gave encouraged and comforted him. He returned one for Steve, too, since he knew Steve wasn’t the most gregarious person either and could use the camaraderie.

After lunch, the Avengers had a short meeting (consisting of Tony telling them “Good job, team. Go us!”), then Steve and Bucky were free to return to Brooklyn. The train ride was long and lulling, especially with their stomachs full, but Bucky felt relaxed and happy. From the peaceful smile Steve had on his own face, he guessed Steve was happy, too.

“You know, I’m very impressed. Natasha liked you,” Steve began. Bucky stared at him skeptically.

“No way.”

“Mhm. She’s the most critical out of us, and the fact she let you leave unscathed is saying a lot.”

“Huh. Guess I’m lucky.”

“Nah. I told you, Buck. You’re a great guy. I knew they were gonna like you,” Steve looked at him fondly.

“Thanks, mom,” Bucky replied, with much less sarcasm than he intended, and bumped their shoulders. He didn’t peel himself back and Steve didn’t seem to mind, so they dozed off slumped together, until they almost missed their stop and had to force their way out of the closing doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! :)  
> Some of the concepts I utilize are a little new to me, so if I've made mistakes, please let me know!  
> Any form of acknowledgement is greatly appreciated! :) [*tumblr*](http://daslebensmittel.tumblr.com)
> 
> *For[The Stucky Library](http://thestuckylibrary.tumblr.com) Stucky Big Bang 2016.  
> Title from: [Bad Habit - The Kooks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tUh-x-fp8Q)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   
>  Next stop: Angstville. Population: 2  
> This train will stop briefly at this station.  
> Continuing passengers, please remain in your seats.

Now that Bucky knew about Steve’s semi-secret identity, he paid close attention to the news and headlines regarding the Avengers (he’d never given them the time of day before). Whenever they were featured, he glued himself to the TV or his phone, watching them to make sure everyone survived. He knew it was silly, most of them immortal and all extremely competent at their job; still, his eyes magnetically trailed Captain America’s movements during the battles. He also took to hugging Steve whenever he returned from his missions, wordless thanks for saving the day and making it back in one piece.

And Steve – he utterly cherished each of these hugs. There were times when he almost indulged himself and did something else before releasing Bucky from their embrace, but he always caught himself in time. He wasn’t quite sure if it was a good thing. Except, of course it was. He shouldn’t make things weird between them, no matter how sweetly Bucky looked up at him at the end of each hug. 

Otherwise, their comfortable cohabitation continued, as they really got along swimmingly.

 

They were having their weekly Sunday brunch (5-egg omelets, a package of bacons, and a variety of fruits), when Bucky brought up what seemed a minor concern. 

“I think I might be sick,” he said.

“What, from the food?”

“No. Well, maybe? I can’t eat so much lately. I’m already full now.”

Steve looked at his plate. Bucky had eaten only half of his 5-egg omelet and bacons. Now that he’d mentioned it, Steve recalled him forgoing seconds on their dinners of late.

“Huh. Do you hurt somewhere? Fevers?” Steve inquired.

“Nope. But it’s really odd. I’ve never lost my appetite before. And even weirder,” Bucky blushed, “I don’t feel like… You know, going _hunting_ much, anymore.”

Well, _that_ had to be more than a minor concern. Losing appetite was one thing, but losing libido must be a big deal for Bucky’s kind. It was curious, indeed: Steve was no doctor, but to him, Bucky appeared to be perfectly healthy. Of course, it wasn’t like Bucky was susceptible to human sicknesses, either. 

“Are you… depressed?” Steve asked. If Bucky didn’t have any physical illness, it could only be psychological, Steve thought. And although Steve believed they had good times together and Bucky generally was cheerful, he had a hunch that Bucky’s insecurities were still buried deep down in his psyche. He understood it wasn’t something that went magically away.

“Huh? Um, no? I don’t think so…” Bucky pondered.

“Well, it’s not always obvious when you are. Do you think, maybe, not having a partner so long is troubling you?” Steve asked, as tactfully as he could.

“Maybe? I really don’t know. I mean, I don’t _feel_ sad. But. I guess it could be that…” Bucky sighed, dejected.

It had to be that. Steve was certain. Bucky had been fighting with the issue for such a long time. It probably stewed in his sub-conscience at any given moment, even to a small extent. Steve knew from his own experience, being depressed was hard to escape and very little could be done to alleviate the throbs of, sometimes hardly detectable, pain. If only Steve could help him in _any_ way…

An idea popped in Steve’s brain. It was ludicrous, as usual. But wait, was it really? He considered it as he chewed on his bacon. He was desperate to help Bucky. Bucky had been a great friend and roommate, and Steve cared for him very much. To even entertain that Bucky was suffering from _anything_ was unacceptable. The sudden idea was wildly ridiculous, but it could be _just_ ridiculous enough to work…

“So, how about if I were to be your partner?” Steve said cautiously. He was treading in dangerous territory. He slapped on a smile to conceal his uncertainty.

“ _What_?”

“You know, a partner for the night? You could sleep–“

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?” Bucky bellowed. Steve was stunned. Bucky was always a little feisty, but never had he become so livid as now. Steve just opened and closed his mouth like a fish, speech disabled.

“STEVE. FUCKING. ROGERS. I _told_ you it doesn’t work like that. It’s a fucking _ritual_! It has zero effect if I’m not the one initiating it. You can’t just _offer_ me sex,” he growled. “And I don’t fucking need your _pity_! How _dare_ you. I can’t believe this. I thought we were _friends_!”

With that, Bucky explosively left and banged the door of his room behind him. Steve heard a click that informed him that he’d locked it as well. Steve remained at their table, petrified. It felt like a bomb had detonated and he was sitting in the remnants. As he replayed in his mind what had just transpired, he groaned. How could he have been _so_ _stupid_? There had been red flags on that idea, even in his head. He should have taken heed to them. Why did he always blurt things out? He half-heartedly cleaned up the kitchen and withdrew to his room to sink into his bed.

He felt like the biggest jerk alive. He had prided in himself for being respectful. And he was, he always made great effort and had been praised for it. But with Bucky, it seemed like he was floundering all the time. Not that he made mistakes like this every day, but somehow, he was always out of breath in Bucky’s presence. 

The absolute worst part was, Steve knew why he had ignored the warning signs. It was out of his own selfish desires. Of course, he would never force himself on Bucky, but if he could have a chance, under the disguise of helping, he could somehow justify taking it. Just because he was an angel, it didn’t excuse him from having weaknesses. He knew he was being a heel, a gargantuan one, and he was so ashamed of himself. He was even more regretful, because now it was obvious to him that he deeply cared for Bucky – evidently more than just as a friend – and he had thrown a wrench into what was already a great friendship, disqualifying himself for anything more in the future with Bucky.

  

Meanwhile, Bucky thrashed around on his bed, doing his best to discharge his anger on the pillows, instead of other more fragile things. _How could he?_ How could Steve even suggest it? In all honesty, under any other circumstance, he probably would have taken the offer in a blink. But he _couldn’t_ , and seriously, Steve has to have known that! And that’s what tormented Bucky the most: that it was just out of pity. Steve saw him as a bumbling _loser_ of an incubus and being the generous angel he is, Steve couldn’t _help_ but offer himself, could he? 

Unable to contain his frustration, Bucky permitted the hot tears to flow from his eyes. Thus far in his life, he had never truly despised the fact that he was an incubus. Not even when he was imprisoned; he had been hopeful and ready to make the best of what he was. But then all of a sudden, this guardian angel shows up, being all kind and caring, and now Bucky hates that he’s an incubus, unable and undeserving of such affection. If Steve had heard this, he’d object right away and convince Bucky of otherwise. But what did he know? He just offered goddamn pity sex and therefore didn’t deserve to have an opinion. 

He had to admit it. He liked Steve. A lot. And he dearly wished to be more with Steve, if Steve would have him. But Bucky had enough pride and self-respect to refuse a relationship rooted in pity. That would just be an empty shell of one and Bucky wasn’t going to have it. As Steve would probably say, he deserved better than that. Bucky knew that Steve had good intentions with his misguided proposal, but he couldn’t avoid being shattered by the thought of merely being one of Steve’s charity cases. He of course didn’t know for a fact if Steve had any charity cases, but he was sure of it regardless. The guy volunteered in his free time and guardian angels were bound to have a few, he presumed. 

They spent the rest of the day separately, simmering in their own misery. Steve came out in the evening to see if Bucky would like dinner, but he settled on eating alone after seeing Bucky’s door firmly closed.

 

The following days were miserable for both of them, but perhaps more for Steve, who was feeling exceptionally guilty. He didn’t dare try to talk to Bucky, only glancing at him in hopes of seeing a softened face, but meeting a stony countenance instead.

Bucky avoided Steve’s eyes and presence, when possible. He somehow got himself up much earlier than usual and left the house by 7, choosing to spend the time at a café before he went into work. When he came home after eating dinner out, he went straight to his room without even acknowledging Steve, and didn’t come out if he even _sensed_ Steve out there. And Steve was certain it wasn’t just a figment of his imagination that Bucky had days off when Steve had to go out for Avengers business.

It was killing Steve inside. It had been two weeks and he still hadn’t apologized to Bucky. Couldn’t. It was the most painful two weeks he’d spent in his life outside the hospital, to which he briefly contemplated returning. Unable to wait any longer, Steve went to the bakery near Sacred Shield, purchasing all the cookies on display. Just before when Bucky nowadays usually got home, he even put them in the oven a while to accentuate their sugary fragrance. He left them on the counter and waited in his room.

Bucky came home late in the evening, after dragging out his sandwich dinner as long as humanly (demonly?) possible: the people at Subway had given him suggestive looks, hoping he’d vacate his space after being there for nearly two hours with only a six-inch and a bag of chips. He was quite tired and equally miserable, but as soon as he opened the door to their apartment, he was overwhelmed by the warming scent of cookies. He sniffed a little and approached the cookies with vigilance. There were white chocolate macadamia nut, triple chocolate chip, sugar cookies, and some others he didn’t even know about. They all sat invitingly in the cookie pan, still exuding heat from the oven. Bucky searched around. He didn’t want Steve jumping out unexpectedly to catch him. He almost resisted the sumptuous cookies, but the cookies were innocent, weren’t they? _They_ surely harbored no ill intentions? After a cursory internal turmoil, Bucky picked up a triple chocolate cookie and nibbled, still wary of any guardian angels that might be lurking around.

“Hey Bucky,” Steve said quietly from his door. Bucky immediately dropped the cookie and started toward his room.  
  
“Please,” Steve implored. “Please, Bucky. Please allow me to apologize.”

Steve sounded so broken. And really, Bucky wasn’t mad anymore, never really was. It just hurt to see Steve, but it wasn’t that he wished to, for instance, evict him either. Bucky was going to simply avoid Steve until it didn’t hurt anymore. Yes, he knew it was a dumb plan, but he hadn’t felt like exploring any other options. But now that Steve was practically begging him to talk, Bucky couldn’t reject him.

Bucky stopped in his tracks and turned toward Steve. Taking it as permission, Steve braved a little closer to speak.

“Bucky, I am so sorry. I was incredibly stupid and rude. I don’t know what came over me. You have to believe me, I wasn’t trying to take advantage of you! I was, just… anxious to try and help you. Which was wrong in the first place, because you’d know better than anyone what you’d need. I know what I did was despicable, but if you could find it in you to forgive me,” Steve chanced a peek into Bucky’s eyes, “I would be…” they were unmoved, “eternally grateful.”

Steve pursed his lips together. It was worth a try. Bucky said nothing and seconds that seemed like hours to Steve passed before Bucky spoke.

“I forgive you,” Bucky said softly. Steve perked up to look at Bucky.

“You do?” he asked, full of hope.

“Yeah. I’m not gonna lie, what you said was extremely insulting. And I was very disappointed in you,” Bucky said sternly. Steve winced. “But I also know you had good intentions. Just… don’t do something like that again, alright?”

“Oh, Bucky,” Steve ran to Bucky and hauled him into a hug. “I’m so sorry. I swear, I’ll never do that again. I was so stupid.”

“Yeah, you’re a lot stupider than you look, huh,” Bucky joked.

“I am,” replied Steve earnestly. Bucky patted him on the back.

When they let go, Steve’s eyes were glistening with moisture. Bucky could tell from the unshed tears that Steve had sincerely repented and agonized for the past two weeks over the possibility that he had ruined their friendship. He felt a little guilty for letting Steve suffer so long, so he pulled him back into the hug.

“It’s okay. You’re a dumb punk, but you’re _my_ dumb punk,” Bucky chuckled. Steve squeezed him harder. He was more than happy to be Bucky’s, even if just as a platonic dumb punk.

“Thank you for forgiving me,” Steve murmured.

“You can thank these cookies. They’re very persuasive.”

“I knew they’d help.”

They both giggled happily. They had been entwined for quite a while, but neither felt strongly about letting go. It had been such a long time since Steve had been embraced so warmly. He felt comforted, just like when his mom used to hug him. Even though he was the slightly bigger of the two, he snuggled like a child into Bucky’s neck. 

As for Bucky, he’d never had such a hug as this before. His hug with Steve long time ago had been nice, but this one was somehow different. He wondered if it might be because _Steve_ was hugging him this time with Bucky on the receiving end. Bucky couldn’t recall an instance when he had consoled anyone. Insincere pats on the back were all he’d ever done. This was new, but he liked it. For all the times Steve had come to his rescue, Bucky figured he should be more than willing to forgive Steve and was pleased he could comfort him this time around. He rubbed circles on Steve’s back, doing his best to soothe. He also couldn’t help but notice how firm Steve’s muscles were, but chided himself, because now was _not_ the time.

Finally, they broke apart and looked at each other. Steve’s eyes were dry now and Bucky’s were much warmer.

“We good?” Bucky checked.

“Yeah, we’re good.”

“Good. So, the cookies are all mine, yes?”

“Oh, come on, you really want all of them?” Steve asked teasingly, as Bucky narrowed his eyes. “Right. Of course, they’re all yours. Every single cookie.”

“Aw, Stevie. You’re real sweet. I’ll think of you every time I eat one,” Bucky winked. “Put ‘em in their bags, will ya? I’m too tired. Emotionally drained, ya know. Thanks, doll. G’night–“

Bucky twirled with a flourish and blew Steve a kiss with an obnoxious “mwah.” Steve grumbled, but figured he could deal with that as punishment. While sorting the cookies back to their original containers, Steve grinned like an idiot the whole time. 

Bucky, too, kept smiling lopsided in his room, reminiscing Steve’s relieved face and their long embrace.

 

 

Steve and Bucky’s good dynamic was restored, but Steve made extra effort to be on best behavior. He vowed to himself that he’d keep his hands, and thoughts, to himself and be a better friend. He also never mentioned anything regarding Bucky’s state, except to suggest seeing Bruce, if Bucky was still concerned about his condition. Which Bucky was, but he didn’t have any free time for a few weeks. The holiday season was nigh and it seemed like everyone and their mom wanted to get their pets spiffed up for the occasion.   
  


It was only a few days before Christmas. Everywhere in New York City was tinseled and lit, with jolly carols playing, and everyone bundled up on the streets. Supernaturals and humans alike were steeped in the holiday cheer. Store displays designed by artistic fairies and elves added an enchanting glow to the atmosphere, while magically enticing passersby to purchase the advertised product.

Steve had wondered before if Bucky had ever celebrated Christmas. He assumed he hadn’t, being a demon and all. So he wanted to give Bucky a fantastic present, to make it all the more memorable and meaningful (if it also helped him forget Steve’s colossal misstep, even better). Steve already had an idea and he hoped that it would be as marvelous as it was in his mind.

  
On Christmas Eve, he set out to pick up his (hopefully) winning present. He didn’t have to search far and wide for what he was looking for. An old lady acquaintance, a widow of a soldier who served under him in the army, was happy to sell it to him and also gave him a bargain, for her husband’s sake. The soldier had sung only praises for the captain and the woman was appreciative of Steve for taking good care of her husband.

After thanking each other profusely and wishing a merry Christmas, Steve loaded it onto a rental truck and drove home. It was an awkward stretch for his arms and he nearly dropped it a few times, but he made it in the end and was especially thankful for his strength now, as he couldn’t have carried it up to their floor otherwise. He set it up in the living room by the Christmas tree they had decorated together few days ago. Steve dusted it a little and then admired how it looked: it was a perfect fit. He deeply hoped Bucky would like it too.

Even on Christmas Eve, Bucky didn’t come home any earlier than usual. The whole salon had been slammed right up to today. As Steve eagerly waited for Bucky, he heard sluggish footsteps climbing up the stairs. If the past week was any clue, it was likely Bucky coming home.

As predicted, the key clicked and the door opened.

“Hey Steve,” said Bucky, oozing with exhaustion.

“Hey Buck. Have a good day?”

“Ugh, not bad. But let me tell ya, I do NOT want to trim another cat butt for a _week_!”

Bucky was probably going back to work before then, but the point still stood. He could still hear the reproachful meows ringing in his ear. Though the cats let him groom them unharmed, it hardly meant they liked it.

Removing his winter gear, he saw something large and black in the living room out of his peripherals. As he focused, his eyes bulged comically.

“OH MY GOD, _why_ is there a piano in our apartment??”

“It’s a present for you,” said Steve bashfully.

Bucky finished divesting himself of the outer layers and sat down on the bench. Barely containing his excitement, he gently opened the lid. It was a bit old, but still in good condition. The keys had lost their original luster, but none of them were chipped or stuck. 

“You got me a _Steinway_?? What the hell, Steve!”

“Are they good? I don’t know much about pianos… This one’s old, though. And it’s only an upright.”

“ _STEVE_ … They are like, the _best_ in the world! Where did you get it? And why?? I have so many questions right now…”

“I got it from a former Juilliard piano professor. I knew her husband so she gave me a good deal,” Steve explained. Bucky played some scales and chords. The piano still had a bright and clear sound, Bucky’s fingers gliding over the keys easily to create them.

“And I got it for you, because… I thought you would like it,” Steve finished lamely. Bucky paused his warm-up. He looked up at Steve leaning against the piano.

“Steve… I love it. Thank you so much.” Bucky stood and gave Steve a hug.

Bucky had never been given a gift before. As Steve predicted, Christmas had been a foreign concept to Bucky until he began living amongst humans and to experience it firsthand had seemed unthinkable. He could have afforded a piano if he’d tried, no doubt. But he didn’t _need_ it, so he had never thought to buy it for himself; he wasn’t in the habit of purchasing things he _wanted_. And then to receive it as a present… Bucky was beside himself with delight. It was a beautiful piano given to him by the most beautiful person he knew. Bucky thought his heart was going to explode from all the happiness.

“Go on, why don’t you play something?” Steve suggested.

“Alright… I haven’t played in decades, though…” Reluctantly leaving Steve’s arms, Bucky sat back down on the bench.

“My ears aren’t that sophisticated. I’m sure anything you play will be wonderful,” Steve encouraged. 

Bucky wiggled his fingers above the keys for another second then placed them in the appropriate positions. He played slow triplets in the middle register and doubled whole notes in the lower. It was the first advanced piece he had learned and also his favorite. Seeing Steve’s hypnotized face, Bucky smiled.

“It’s the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven.”

“Oh, right. That one’s famous.”

The music was mostly dark, with bits of joy between the sorrow and anguish. It was beautiful and Steve thought the piece was a little like Bucky. He watched the fingers strike the keys, sometimes delicately, others more purposefully. It was mesmerizing to watch Bucky play. 

Bucky hadn’t intended to perform the whole movement, but Steve seemed so enraptured and he couldn’t bring himself to stop. After the final chords, Steve clapped like a seal, his face still awe-struck. Bucky smiled and did a little bow. 

“That was amazing, Bucky. I should’ve gotten you this piano earlier!”

“Nah, I’m all right. But now I can practice. You might regret buying it for me then…”

“I doubt it,” Steve replied, though he did regret not foreseeing how Bucky playing the piano would endear him to Steve a little more. “You’re really good. Maybe you can be a concert pianist in the next century, yeah?” Steve waggled his eyebrows. Bucky burst out laughing.

“Maybe. But then all the rich kitties in Brooklyn will look like shit!”

“That’s true. We wouldn’t want that…” 

Bucky turned his gaze back to the piano and stroked the keys. He had missed this. He thought again that maybe he should have gotten one a long time ago, but to have Steve gift it to him added so much more meaning and it made the wait worth it all. 

“Thanks again, Steve. You really shouldn’t have.”

“It’s my pleasure, Buck. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Steve.”

They hugged each other once more. 

“But now my present sucks compared to this!”

“You got me something? Aw Bucky, I told you I didn’t need anything.”

“Yeah, well, so did I. And how well did _you_ listen?” Bucky said with a threatening finger. Steve had enough grace to look chastised about it. But they did say that and it had been a real challenge for Bucky to come up with a present that satisfied him.

“I was gonna wait until tomorrow to give it to you, but since I got my present now, here it is.” Bucky dug in his backpack and took out a rectangular box, wrapped in holiday paw-printed paper. “I wrapped it at work and that’s all they had,” shrugged Bucky, “Go ahead, open it!”

At Bucky’s impatient urge, Steve carefully removed the tape and opened the folds.

“A smart phone?? Bucky, these things are _expensive_!” exclaimed Steve.

“It’s 2016, Steve. You should get with the times. I couldn’t be _lieve_ you were still using a flip phone!”

“I didn’t really need to call anyone besides work. I was doing fine.”

“No, grandpa, you weren’t. I’ll teach you how to Snapchat, Facebook, all that good stuff. It’ll be fun!”

“Bucky, still. This is too expensive for something I don’t really need.”

“Don’t make me find out how much this piano cost, Rogers. And you _do_ need it! I can send you photos of the cats at work! You can even read the news on it!”

Steve still didn’t look convinced, holding the phone in his hand like it might explode. Bucky needed drastic measures. He pulled out his best sad-kitten eyes and pouted, “So you don’t like it, Steve?”

“Oh, Bucky, no…” Steve immediately loosened his expression. “It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just, you know, such an extravagant thing to have…”

“I get it… I’m so stupid… Getting you something you wouldn’t like…”

“No, no, no, Bucky. I do like it, I do!”

As a final touch, he closed his eyes as if holding back tears; he bit his lip and sniffled a little.

“I’m sorry, Steve. I’ll go return it later,” he said with a raspy voice, then turned away.

“No, Bucky! Wait. Please,” Steve grabbed his shoulder. Bucky grinned mischievously. Schooling his face back to feigned shame and disappointment, he spun around. “I’m sorry, Buck. I like it. A lot. You’re right, I do need to get on with the times. I’m sorry I was being a dolt. Thank you so much.”

“You really like it?” Bucky shakily asked.

“Yes, I do. It’s great. But you’ll have to teach me,” Steve said shyly. Bucky grinned widely and clapped his shoulder.

“Hell yeah, I’m gonna. You have _so_ _much_ to learn, young grasshopper!”

At first, Steve was confused by Bucky’s sudden change in demeanor then he quickly realized that he had been duped. “Oh you little…”

Steve moved to tackle Bucky, but before he could, Bucky attacked him with a hug first. 

“You really like it, right?” Bucky asked. And being the sap he is, Steve surrendered and squeezed him back.

“Yeah, I do. Thank you, Bucky.”

“You’re welcome! Let’s set up your Facebook first,” Bucky said jubilantly and lead Steve to their sofa. Steve rolled his eyes. It was going to take him a while to get accustomed to the device, but he was still grateful for Bucky’s considerate thoughts. And it was definitely a bonus to spend some quality time with the delighted incubus, letting him prove to Steve just how tech-savvy he was. All in all, it was indeed a very successful Christmas for the incubus-and-angel roommates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Ludwig van Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata, Mvt. 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT7_IZPHHb0)  
>  Thanks so much for reading! Any form of acknowledgement is greatly appreciated! :) [*Tumblr*](http://daslebensmittel.tumblr.com)
> 
> *For[The Stucky Library](http://thestuckylibrary.tumblr.com) Stucky Big Bang 2016.  
> Title from: [Bad Habit - The Kooks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tUh-x-fp8Q)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's friends are very supportive. :)

For New Year’s, they were invited to the tower for a little party hosted by Tony and Pepper. Bucky hadn’t seen them in a while, but was much more comfortable conversing with them than the last time. As Bucky was immersed in a debate with Clint about some TV show they both watched (Cutthroat Kitchen. It was Cutthroat Kitchen), Steve sat out in the balcony for a little break of fresh air. Being with people for extended periods of time was still challenging for him. He wasn’t there long when Sam came out to join him. 

“I hear you bought Barnes a piano,” Sam said casually.

“Good god, word gets around fast.”

“Getting pretty serious, huh? When’s the big day?”

“Sam, it’s just an old piano.”

“But a Steinway is pretty serious.”

“Does everyone know about Steinways??”

“Nah, Widow explained it to me,” smiled Sam. Steve shook his head.

“I just thought he might like it. And it’d be nice to have some live music around the apartment…”

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Rogers. You ask him out yet?”

“It’s not bullshit,” Steve defended. “And why would I ask him out??” Sam just gave him a dead stare, like Steve was asserting Earth was flat.

“Why would you ask him out? Get it together, Rogers! We all know you like him!”

“ _Will you keep it down_?” Steve whispered aggressively. “And you’re wrong. I mean, I like him as a friend. Very much.”

“Good lord, just stop. You’re gonna make me cry. You were _glowing_ when you brought him to meet us. Literally. Pepper saw your angel aura and told us about it after you left, but we could tell anyways,” Sam finished with a smug grin. Steve closed his gawking jaw.

“Oh god… This is so embarrassing…”

“No, don’t be embarrassed? It’s cool. We like Bucky. We’re rooting for you, man. Ask me if you need any romantic date ideas!”

“Thanks,” Steve groaned. Sam laughed heartily and gave Steve’s shoulder a pat.

“Seriously, though. You know you can come to us, right? I know you think we’re just kind of kooky co-workers, but we care about you. It’s okay to lean on us a little.”

Steve blushed. He hadn’t meant to come off so distant; he did like them all, it just took him a long time to really warm up to people. 

“Sorry. I do appreciate you guys, a lot. Even if you like to make fun of me.”

“Hey, that’s what friends are for,” winked Sam.

Then they were summoned back inside for a game Steve had never heard of (“Cards Against Humanity is _awesome_ , Steve,” Bucky sagely informed him). After Natasha had practically whooped all their asses and Steve had been sufficiently appalled, everyone counted down to the New Year together. Only Pepper and Tony kissed at midnight, but they all gave each other hugs and wishes for a happy new year.

“Happy new year, Buck.”

“Same to you, pal.” They embraced each other briefly then clinked their champagne glasses.

“I’m so glad that we met last year. I think it’s the best thing that happened to me.” Though he fully meant it, Steve hoped _how_ he meant it wasn’t too obvious, as Sam had pointed out.

“Aw, Stevie, you’re too much,” drawled Bucky. Then he brazenly added, “But I agree, I _am_ the best thing that happened to you.”

“Oh my god. I was serious,” laughed Steve. Bucky was serious, too, but he kept to himself that he thought Steve was the best thing to happen to him as well; he feared how the revelation would be received. He then wondered absently if the amount of self-defense mechanism he employed was even marginally healthy, but the alternative would be baring his feelings and possibly getting hurt, so he decided to ignore it. He didn’t think he’d be ready for that, no matter how long he lived.

Joining back to the rest of the party, they watched amusedly as Tony and his phoenix friend Rhodey flew around in their iron suits with lit fireworks, drawing nonsensical shapes and occasionally, vulgar words.

 

 

With the holidays behind them, Bucky had less clients to groom and more free time. He had asked Bruce during New Year’s if he could take a look at Bucky, and he gladly agreed on an appointment. He felt childish, but in the event there was something direly wrong with him, he asked Steve to accompany him for moral support. Steve was pretty sure Bucky was perfectly healthy – after all, Bucky showed no other sign of discomfort – but just in case, he obliged.

Bucky explained his predicament to Bruce. He was a little embarrassed while mentioning the lack of lust recently (and the scarcity of partners for the past few centuries), but Bruce was extremely understanding with no judgment of any sort. Bruce conducted some basic examinations, took Bucky’s blood, and even scanned him with three different machines.

“I’m not turning into a mortal, am I??” blurted Bucky, worried. It was the most plausible theory he could think of. It wasn’t the worst thing to happen, but he still didn’t like the idea.

“No, Bucky. You _know_ that just randomly turning mortal doesn’t happen,” sighed Bruce as he adjusted his also tired-looking glasses on his nose. Bucky had been asking other absurd questions the whole time.

“Are you sure? Then why am I not feeling lust and hunger like I used to? Something must be wrong. I always feel at least a little.”

“Well, we all go through phases. This might just be an especially low-libido season for you.”

“Huh.”

“Seriously, don’t worry. Heart rate’s low, plenty of mercury in your blood, all the scans look good… You’re fine,” answered Bruce as he showed him the comprehensive results.

“Well, if you say so, doc. I was pretty freaked out though,” Bucky rubbed his neck, with traces of uncertainty, but nonetheless looking more relieved. “Now that I know I’m not dying, gotta go to the can! I’ve been holding it since I got here!”

Steve watched Bucky rush off to the restrooms, his tension visibly released. He shook his head good-naturedly, until he caught Bruce’s thoughtful eyes watching him.

“What?”

“Do you know what creatures like Bucky thrive on?”

Steve instantly sensed a trap thrown at his feet, but still answered, “…No.”

“They feed off of someone else’s desires. Which is why copulation is their usual method: the cheapest and most readily available form of desire, lust. It’s kind of like carbs for humans.” 

Weird analogy, but Steve understood. Lust could materialize pretty quickly and required no commitment – cheap and readily available. Perfect for both the incubus and their ‘partner.’ Still, Steve didn’t quite see where this was going. Or, he valiantly pretended he couldn’t.

“It’s an easy source of desire for them, but it also dissipates pretty quickly, which is why they usually need to constantly find partners to feed off lust. Bucky’s been unable to find a partner forever, right?”

“Well, not for _ever_ , but…”  


“You know what I mean. That means he’s recently been getting a steady supply of pretty strong desires, enough to absorb into and satisfy him. And it’s probably more than just plain lust. Like lo–”

“That’s…um, _fascinating_ ,” interrupted Steve. Bruce arched a brow. “How come he doesn’t know about it?”

“Well, most of them don’t maintain long enough relationships to be exposed to different desires, do they? Probably never learned. And it’s trickier to extract desires other than lust. Incubi aren’t known for their commitment to a relationship. He probably doesn’t even realize that he’s been absorbing such strong desires from _someone_ around him.”

“Right… So, did you want to inform him about that, or…?”

“I don’t know, Steve. Do you think he should know about it?”

Steve quickly assessed this information in his head, which was starting to panic for some reason. By now, Steve definitely knew where this was heading and didn’t like it. The knowledge was pretty significant, it could be useful to Bucky, but it also might help him figure out some _other_ things. Ignorance was bliss or something, wasn’t it?

“Um, he probably doesn’t need to know _right_ away… It’s not life threatening or anything. I can… I can tell him if he asks?”

“Alright. Suit yourself.”

Bruce’s usually soft eyes gave him another pointed look and Steve felt like he was being x-rayed. His cheeks heated slightly and he turned his gaze to the door where Bucky had gone through. Heavy silence descended upon them before Steve chose to open his mouth. 

“What do you think I should do?”

“Not that kind of doctor, Steve,” Bruce replied kindly.

“Right,” Steve nodded.

“But as a friend, let me just ask: what are you waiting for?” 

Before Steve could respond, Bucky burst back in through the door. 

“Why the hell are the bathrooms so far away in this building? _One_ per floor?? Almost fucking pissed myself! Are we sure Stark’s a _good_ engineer??”

“He has about five in the lab. Others’ primal needs are not of interest to him,” chuckled Bruce. “Well, if you boys don’t mind, I’ve got to meet with said rude engineer and talk science.”

“Oh, of course. Thanks a lot for checking me, man.”

“My pleasure. See you guys later.” 

Steve and Bucky watched Bruce pick up his brief case and exit out the door.

“See, I told you there was nothing wrong with you,” sang Steve.

“Better safe than sorry!” Bucky replied. Now that he was certain there wasn’t any mortal peril, he was in a jovial mood. Steve agreed, but he was still immensely grateful that Bruce had conjured up a convincing substitute explanation for Bucky’s condition, instead of enlightening him with the truth. 

Steve didn’t really know why he hadn’t already asked Bucky out. The only things at stake were his dearly treasured friendship with Bucky and the excruciating possibility of a heartbreaking rejection, no big. His last apocalyptic attempt didn’t count, in his mind, because... Well… _Because_. Regardless, Steve did want to, anyway. He was no coward, just rightfully cautious, and it was starting to be a strain to constantly suppress his feelings. He just wanted to wait for the right moment. He didn’t have the slightest idea what that all entailed, but he was going to wait.

 

 

 

An excuse to further procrastinate arose when there was another alien invasion in New York. Thor assured them it wasn’t his brother Loki again, but whoever released this batch seemed to be interested in the Avengers, too. The aliens were a cross between raptors and robots, living creatures with mechanic modifications. Though all the avengers were assembled, the number of aliens seemed to increase exponentially and they were struggling to keep up. Tony had to abandon his humanoid Iron Man suit and arm himself in his dragon form, using both his fire and repulsor blasts. The same went for Sam, flying about and pulverizing the aliens with his talons as the enormous griffin that he was. Thor hopped alternatingly on his fellow creatures’ backs as he took out fly-by aliens with Mjolnir. Clint and Natasha teamed up on the ground with Steve to take the landed aliens in close combat and herd the citizens away to safety. Bruce was nowhere to be seen, but his growls could be heard periodically while he weaved through the buildings rounding up the stray aliens.

It was chaos, to say the least. People were screaming, running for their lives, while buildings collapsed and debris showered the streets. The outer-space monsters were contained in Manhattan for the moment, but it seemed only a matter of time before they ventured further. 

The alien attack was all over the news, prompting everyone to freak out and seek shelter. Bucky had also been released from work early, since no one cared about grooming their pets during an alien invasion, but he wasn’t going home. He ran as fast as he could across the Brooklyn Bridge; all transportation to Manhattan had been halted. When he arrived as soon as he could, it was pandemonium on the island. The Avengers were all blurs, and with alien screeches and people’s screams, it was difficult to focus on what was happening.

“Steve!” Bucky called. As expected, he didn’t receive an answer. Pushing people out of the way, he made his way toward the battlefield.

“Hey, you can’t go there!” A S.W.A.T. officer blocked Bucky.

“Lemme go! My friend’s over there!”

“I’m sure we got them out fine, just follow the people for cover!”

Bucky was outraged. He couldn’t just wait at home and watch the news; he had a bad feeling that this was not like the other battles. Bucky changed to his true form. 

“I’m a fucking supernatural, alright? Give me your rifle and let me go, if you ain’t gonna help!”

The officer was stunned by the sudden transformation and Bucky’s intense frustration. Bucky didn’t wait for permission, snatching the rifle from the officer’s slackened grip and darting to the fracas.

Tony, Sam, and Thor were clearly visible, dealing with the bigger aliens. Natasha, Clint, and Steve were harder to find, having split up to manage different zones. Bucky had no armor, and while he was immortal, he didn’t want to risk being seriously injured by the space creatures as the hydra had done. He hid behind an upturned car, planning to use his Special Forces sniping skills learned from war. The rifle didn’t kill the aliens, but it did enough to wound and stall them. He shot carefully and diligently, hitting as many aliens as possible at least twice. It seemed to help, as the Avengers were able to incapacitate them better with the aliens’ slower mobility. With Bruce back to join them in the main field, the number of aliens had greatly decreased.

Tony was preparing an attack on the alien mother ship when a rogue alien headed towards a building with many hiding civilians. Bucky quickly shot it and decelerated the alien, but it was undeterred in its trajectory. It was going to release a blast to the building. Bucky watched in horror as Steve sprinted to the building and arrived just in time to hold up his shield against the blast.

“STEVE!” Bucky yelled. He stood to go, but fell back down from the blast’s force. He got on his hands and knees as his eyes searched for Steve’s figure in the dust clouds. Thor took out the alien with Mjolnir just after its blast and the building only suffered minor damages, but Steve had disappeared. When the dust settled, Bucky saw Steve lying amidst the wreckage, unconscious and bleeding all over. Bucky tried to get up and run to Steve, but he was too far away. Before he could reach him, Sam scooped him up with his talons and flew away from the battlefield. Tony and he had destroyed the mother ship during the blast and the battle had been won.

The remaining Avengers did what they could to assist with the clean up, while reporters announced the victory and interviewed the shaken civilians. Bucky helped, too, but he was distracted by the image of a bloody Steve, lying limp on the ground, as if dead. He knew Steve couldn’t be dead, he was an angel, but he didn't want to ascertain what kind of lasting damage Steve might have received from the wretched space dinos.

When the Avengers began to retreat after saluting the grateful citizens, Bucky dragged his exhausted body to the Tower, too. They weren’t aware Bucky was helping them and he was too preoccupied to make his presence known. When he arrived at the tower, dusty and disheveled, he ran into Pepper and Rhodey, just arriving from a meeting with the President. 

“Bucky! I saw you on the news! Why are you alone?”

“Hey guys. I didn’t tell them I was there. No time for chitchat, you know,” Bucky joked. Pepper hugged him tightly, getting all the dirt on her nice suit. Rhodey patted his back.

“Thank you. I know you helped them so much. We’re going up to see them now, but why don’t you go to Steve?”

“He’s not here?”

“No, I’m sure Sam took him to Sacred Shield to get treated.” Pepper considered for a moment, and then went back to the car she’d exited. “Happy, take Bucky to Sacred Shield, will you? Thanks so much.”

Pepper gave Bucky another hug and ushered him into the car. He thanked her and closed his eyes as the car started. He tried to relax into the plush cushions, but found himself shaking more, now that he was sitting. All the blood gushing and the way Steve’s body was seemingly lifeless… What if he extinguished himself from the pain, too, like some of his unit? If not, what kind of lasting injury was Steve going to live with? His eyes became heated, no matter how much he tried to remind himself that Steve is alive, couldn’t die… 

Before he could completely lose his mind, Happy announced their arrival. Bucky thanked him and rushed into the hospital. He sloppily signed in at the front desk and dashed to the Intensive Care Unit. He saw Sam, already bandaged up for his own injuries, sitting on a bench outside the rooms.

“Bucky? Hey buddy. How did you know to come here?”

“Pepper, uh, told me,” Bucky did his best to swallow down any emotion.

“Why are you all dusty and stuff? You weren’t in Manhattan, were you?”

“Yeah, actually, I was. I tried to shoot them down a bit.”

“That was you? I was wondering why they slowed down all of a sudden. Thanks, man. It really saved our asses,” Sam reached out gingerly to lay his injured hand on Bucky’s shoulder. After a moment, he asked, “So, you saw the mess Steve had been, huh?”

“Yeah…”

“I know it looked terrible, but don’t worry. He’ll be fine. He’s been through worse and he’s tougher than he looks,” joked Sam. Bucky didn’t answer. Sam was probably right, but there was always that ‘what if.’ Bucky wanted to scream, demand better answers, but he bullied his internal anguish to stay within himself. They sat in dense silence watching the minutes go by, waiting for the doctors to finish patching up Steve.

 

 

When Steve regained consciousness, he noticed that he was in his usual room at Sacred Shield. He naturally healed well on his own, so he only had a few things connected to him, all of the wounds sewn together and tended to already. He blinked owlishly. Looking around, he saw a stooped figure in a chair, next to his bed.

“Bucky?”

Bucky lifted his head to blearily look at Steve’s face. He had looked like death warmed over out in the field, but it seemed like he was already healing rapidly and had only a few cuts and bruises on his face.

“Hey, Buck. What are you doing here?” Steve inquired softly.

“Waiting for your punk ass to wake up, what else?” sassed Bucky. Steve chuckled. “I was at the battle. Tried to shoot some aliens. And then Pepper told me you’d be here.”

“You did? Oh! It makes so much sense now. I was wondering how Clint was shooting the aliens so far out of his range. Thank you,” Steve smiled crookedly. Bucky shrugged it off and just continued glowering at Steve.

“What the _fuck_ were you thinking? Charging like that in front of a blast, alone??”

“Bucky, it’s not like I was gonna die,” said Steve, brushing him off.

“Ain’t satisfied with being just an angel, huh? Gotta be a saint, too?” Bucky accused.

“It’s my job to protect the people, Buck,” Steve argued stubbornly.

“You could have gotten lasting injuries, you idiot! Supernaturals can do damage to each other, don’t you know that?? Why can’t you just be a normal guardian angel, and take just one person as a charge??” Bucky snapped at Steve imperiously, but Steve just looked at him, almost guilty. Then he furrowed his brows defiantly.

“Yeah? Well, what the hell were _you_ doing in Manhattan? You weren’t supposed to be there in the first place.”

“Don’t change the subject!” Bucky pointed at Steve. “And I hid behind a car, like a _sensible_ person!”

They glared at each other, breathing heavily from their own frustrations. Bucky huffed out a sigh. This was not how he wanted to greet Steve from his concussion. Deciding to be the adult here, Bucky scooted himself closer to Steve.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t be mad. You just saved a city,” said Bucky, placated. Steve relaxed his brows.

“I’m sorry, too. You helped us a lot. And I know you’re just worried about me. Thank you.”

“It’s just that… I know you’re immortal, but it doesn’t mean you’re invincible. During the war… I’ve told you, but some of my unit chose death after suffering unbearable pain. I saw you bleeding and looking like you were at the end of your rope… “ Bucky sniffed. “And I couldn’t, didn’t want to think…”

“Bucky, I’m sorry…”

“I love you, Steve. I wouldn’t know what to do if you were gone,” confessed Bucky.

“You _what_?” Steve whipped his head off his pillow, pulling some of the machine cords to clatter with him. Bucky gently pushed him back.

“I love you. You are the best thing that’s happened to me, ever. And to think that I wouldn’t get to tell you…” Bucky winced at the mere suggestion of that. It might be a little selfish, but he didn’t think he would be able to live with himself if he never got the chance. And all his reservations about getting hurt seemed monumentally foolish now.

“You don’t have to love me back, Steve. I just wanted to tell you when I could. I hope this won’t make our friendship weird–“

“ _Bucky, I love you_ ,” Steve interjected. Bucky tried to stop him, but Steve got up to sit and grabbed Bucky’s shoulders. “God, I love you so much. How could you think that I wouldn’t?”

“I don’t know why anyone would love me,” muttered Bucky.

“Bucky, you can’t mean that? Well, to be honest, I couldn’t tell you _why_ I love you. I just do,” Steve sheepishly smiled. “But I can tell you what I love _about_ you. Listen, you are one of the strongest people I know, Buck. You’ve had so many setbacks, so many unfair setbacks,” Steve said angrily, “questions to your own identity, but you never let them destroy you. I don’t know how anyone could have been even remotely happy after going through what you have experienced, yet here you are. You could have given up, or worse, say screw it and wreak havoc or something. But no, you focus on doing your job and do your best with what you have. Not to mention you’re funny, sweet, considerate, incredibly handsome… I could go on.”

Steve bored into Bucky’s eyes to show how serious he was. Bucky bit his lips and his eyes were becoming red, but he kept his gaze on Steve.

“You’re beautiful, Bucky, inside and out. How could I not love you?”

“Steve…”

Bucky sighed and stood to hug Steve. Maneuvering around the IV and monitor lines, they embraced each other tightly. Bucky pulled back a little, cradling Steve’s already much-cleared face gently in his hands. He mouthed “thank you” and kissed Steve’s lips. When Bucky pulled back again shortly, Steve didn’t let him go. They held each other, kissing chastely with eyes closed, breathing each other in. When they finally pulled back, someone outside stomped and whooped. 

“God, Sam probably just saw us through the window,” groaned Steve. Bucky just giggled and pulled Steve to his chest. He didn’t care if the whole hospital saw them. He was just happy Steve was okay and, even better, loved him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! :)  
> I hope the sap and cheese hasn't killed you yet..!  
> [*tumblr*](http://daslebensmittel.tumblr.com)
> 
> *For[The Stucky Library](http://thestuckylibrary.tumblr.com) Stucky Big Bang 2016.  
> Title from: [Bad Habit - The Kooks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tUh-x-fp8Q)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is time. ;-)

Bucky stayed with Steve until his release the next day. There wasn’t much room on the hospital bed to fit two grown men, but it gave them legitimate excuse to cuddle - in other words, perfectly fine. Sam came in to say “congratulations” to them before he went back to the tower. He gave them a wolfish grin and an excessive number of winks that implied the whole team would know about the new lovebirds by sundown.

It was a little awkward for them, after coming home. They were all alone with the knowledge that they loved each other. Neither wanted to initiate anything to make the other uncomfortable; but soon enough, watching movies on the couch turned into heated make-out sessions. It always started with someone’s innocent pecks on the lips and then the lips never quite left. Bucky would straddle Steve’s lap, crossing his wrists behind Steve’s neck, while they vigorously crashed into each other’s lips. Steve would hold onto Bucky’s hips, not gripping, just cradling, and barely resisting the urge the grind up. But then, every time Steve started to rub Bucky’s back and snaked a _finger_ under the shirt, Bucky froze. He’d give one last brush to Steve’s open mouth and say “good night,” rushing off to his room like a runaway bride.

Steve figured Bucky wanted to take things slowly, which he completely understood. Neither had ever been in a relationship (despite the _years_ they had lived) and Steve was all about respecting boundaries. Though he was often left with having to take care of himself, he definitely didn’t want to impose himself on Bucky either. However, when the pattern continued for what seemed unnaturally long, Steve began to worry. Was Bucky having doubts about them? Did he not find Steve attractive enough? The last one was irrational, Steve knew, but he couldn’t help but wonder when anything further than French kissing spooked Bucky away from Steve like a cat startled by cucumbers.

After another bout of devouring each other’s mouths and prompt abandonment, Steve decided there was something off and that he should ask Bucky about it. Communication was key, right? He organized his thoughts on the couch, reminded himself to be patient and understanding, and then knocked on Bucky’s door.

“Come in?”

Steve opened the door and stepped over the threshold, but just leaned against the doorframe instead of entering further. Bucky was in loose sleeping t-shirt and shorts, about to go under the covers. Steve gave him a small tender smile and Bucky sat up on his bed.

“What’s up?”  
  
“Uh… I wanted to ask… If everything’s all right?”  
  
“Yeah, why?”  
  
“Well… I was just wondering if you were still okay with us being, um, together.”  
  
“’Course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”  
  
“Well…” Steve dropped his gaze to his feet.

Bucky knew why Steve was asking. He wasn’t exactly subtle about passionately making out and then abruptly ditching Steve every time. He also knew that the issue in his head wasn’t going to solve itself and to make Steve confused and hurt was unfair. He had to come clean. Bucky steeled himself and let out a long sigh.

“Steve. I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t want you, I do. I’m just… scared.”  
  
“Of what?”

It was the moment of truth. Bucky gulped.

“I… I lied to you. The truth is… I’ve _never_ had a partner before. I failed, each and every time,” ground out Bucky. “And I lied, because I didn’t think we’d ever become like this. I’m sorry.”  
  
“Oh… I see. I understand… It’s not a big deal, you know?” Steve smiled.  
  
“Wait. That’s not all. I’m afraid that… Once we proceed, I’ll become a full-fledged incubus.”  
  


Steve stared blankly for a moment. Bucky appeared to be completely serious. He was already an incubus, wasn’t he? He was over 200 years old, way past incubus puberty and maturation.

“What if, this whole time, I’ve been shit at it all, because I hadn’t fully developed yet? What if sleeping with you will turn me into an official incubus and give me all the appropriate instincts? What if this is my _rite of passage_?”  
  
“Oh,” was all Steve could say. He knew where Bucky had gotten the idea, but not being an authority on incubi, Steve couldn’t disprove him. He wasn’t quite sure what the transformation would all involve, but according to Bucky’s expression, it couldn’t bode well. “Well, isn’t that what you want? To be a regular incubus?”  
  
“Not if it means I’ll abandon you to go gallivanting with every other person in the borough,” Bucky cried. “Steve, I love you. So much. I don’t want to be with anyone else. But if my instincts dictate otherwise, I don’t know if I could stop it!”

Steve smiled painfully at the declaration. Bucky was so torn and devastated. He considered for a moment before he replied, “The thing is, Buck? You don’t have to.”  
  
“What do you mean?” frowned Bucky.  
  
“You don’t have to stop it. You can leave me and find other partners if you have to.” Bucky opened his mouth to protest. “Wait, listen. I wasn’t completely honest with you either, but… I’ve been your guardian angel for a while now.” Bucky looked at him in confusion. Then it dawned upon him.  
  
“It’s a proximity thing…” Bucky recited. Steve had told him before, how could he have forgotten?  
  
“Yes, but more than that, I care about you very much. Enough to make you my next charge,” Steve smiled again.  
  
“But… Shouldn’t you be protecting mortals?”  
  
“Who knows how these things exactly work, but I’m doing enough for them as an Avenger, don’t you think?” Bucky agreed. Steve was practically everyone’s guardian angel. “So that means I’ll be protecting you and loving you forever, no matter what. Because, you know, you’re also immortal.”  
  
Steve was hoping Bucky would find the irony funny, but he didn’t. It pained him more at the thought that he would be tormenting Steve forever, always leaving him for others when Steve loved Bucky, and only Bucky. Sensing Bucky’s distress, Steve sat on the bed with him and continued.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. Because, you know what? We’ll just do it all over again.”  
  
“Do what all over again?” sobbed Bucky.  
  
“You can come find me in the hospital, like when we first met–“  
  
“Because I’ll have broken your heart!” cried Bucky.  
  
“Well, I won’t deny that’ll probably be why…” Steve admitted. “But anyway, you can come find me. I highly doubt your flirting techniques will have improved _that_ much... So you’ll probably try to seduce me, with horrendous pick-up lines. And this time, I’ll fall for it right away, save us some time,” chuckled Steve. Bucky didn’t join him. “We could become roommates again. And maybe we could get to this point again.”

Bucky looked up at him as Steve folded their hands together and bumped their foreheads. The tears kept falling and his lips were swollen from biting. Steve gently wiped a drop.

“The point is, I’ll be there for you, always. You are an incubus, and whatever you have to do, I’m not gonna blame you for that. I love you for who you are. And if I can have even a little part of your heart, I’d be grateful.” Bucky clung to his shoulders, soundlessly repeating his name. “If you don’t want to risk it, I understand. I’m okay with that; we don’t have to do anything else. But I’m willing to risk this with you, no matter what happens after. I’m with you to the end of the line, Buck.”  
  
“Oh, Steve,” Bucky lifted his head to kiss him. He opened his mouth and let Steve in. He fell back on his pillows and Steve loomed above him, stroking his hair.

As the kiss continued, Bucky couldn’t help but let his legs fall open. Steve slotted closer into the space, but kept his hands where they were. He wanted give Bucky time to stop, if he still wished to. Steve moved to kiss Bucky’s nape and suck a little. Bucky moaned and pulled Steve’s head closer. Suddenly, Steve noticed something had changed. He paused and looked up at Bucky’s face. He was almost pearly white all over and his hair had grown longer to his shoulders. Bucky blushed.

“Couldn’t help myself this time.”  
  
“Is this… your incubus form?”  
  
“Yeah. I always left you before I transformed, since it’s harder to control myself then. Sorry about that.”

Steve gaped at Bucky’s form in awe. Aside from the skin and the hair, not much was different; he didn’t sprout horns or something (Steve had had a very vague idea of an incubus). Still, his eyes were somehow even more impossibly blue, gleaming like sapphires, and his lips turned the most luscious red. But the most significant change was the scars on his left arm, where the hydra had bitten him. There were two black circles from the fangs on his bicep and jagged lines originating from them, creating an illusion of fractured glass, spreading to his shoulder and wrist. Steve met Bucky’s gaze for permission to touch and Bucky nodded. When his fingers met the skin, it was surprisingly smooth.

“It doesn’t hurt most of the time. Just during thunderstorms. But it sure did a good job repelling people away if I ever managed to get this far.”

Steve glanced back up at Bucky’s eyes. They weren’t hurt or angry, just defeated. In Steve’s humble opinion, he couldn’t fathom how that could be. Bucky was even more enticing than Steve had previously thought possible; the guy was already hot as hell in his human disguise. But this – Steve couldn’t be kept off him now, even if he tried. He wasn’t sure if it was a hallucination, but Bucky smelled _so_ good, too.

“Mm, are you using your pheromones? You smell delicious. Kinda like strawberries and vanilla,” commented Steve and he buried his nose to Bucky’s neck again to inhale the scent more.  
  
“That’s my shampoo, idiot!” Bucky snorted. “But I do release pheromones automatically in this form. Maybe it amplifies whatever smell I have?”

To that, Steve didn’t answer, but simply licked Bucky’s skin. It tasted good, too. Not like how it smelled, per se, but still sweet and delectable. Bucky turned his head to give Steve more access and Steve latched onto the juncture of his shoulder and neck, sucking gently. Bucky pulled his hair a little and Steve lifted back to Bucky’s lips. Languidly making out, Steve ventured his hand to the hem of Bucky’s shirt. Instead of dipping under, he lingered his hand there and rubbed gentle circles just above Bucky’s hipbones. Bucky paused to stare him in the eyes. He issued a sigh and blinked, long lashes fluttering over his blown pupils.

“Wait, I have to seduce you,” whispered Bucky.  
  
“You already have. Incrementally. Everyday. You and I just didn’t know it,” Steve murmured back.  
  
“Steve…”

Steve took Bucky’s left hand and began to kiss it, making his way up the arm, resting on as many scar lines as he could. After he finished lavishing the whole arm with kisses, he went back to the fang scars for extra attention. Bucky gasped, tears welling in his eyes. He couldn’t believe that Steve would dare to so lovingly caress such ugly, repulsive scars. He pushed Steve back a little, startling him. For a moment, he wondered if Bucky felt uncomfortable with what he did, until Bucky took his shirt off and grabbed Steve’s head for a kiss.

They breathed each other in fervently, Steve’s hands no longer afraid to roam around Bucky’s naked torso. Bucky pulled off Steve’s shirt, too, so that he may also revel in touching Steve’s gorgeous form. Lost in the sensation, Bucky panted as Steve peppered kisses on the rest of his body, worshiping as if a beautiful work of art. He let out a long moan when Steve suckled a nipple, shivering as Steve devotedly laved.

Needing more friction and attention in other places, Bucky pushed down Steve’s sweats to express his quickly evaporating patience. Steve chuckled and accommodated Bucky’s wishes, kicking his sweats off and then pulling down Bucky’s own shorts. Fully naked and flushed together, they kissed feverishly, getting high on the hot feeling of skin on skin, as if electricity coursed through their veins everywhere they touched.

As they took a break to gather their breaths, Bucky opened the drawer of his nightstand. Looking over, Steve saw a bottle of lube and condoms – lube was used, condoms were new. When he looked back at Bucky, he simply stared back expectantly, biting his lips. Steve kissed him, cupping Bucky’s jaw with one hand while the other grabbed the items.

He opened Bucky leisurely with generously lubed fingers, sucking him off for some distractions. Bucky gasped, quivering with arousal, one hand holding onto Steve’s head like an anchor. He tugged on Steve’s hair urgently and moaned, as Steve grazed his prostate every so often.

“Steve, I’m ready, come on.”  
  
“You, uh, sure?” mumbled Steve, pulling his mouth off.  
  
“Yeah, I’ve been waiting a _millennium_ for this. Trust me, I’m so fucking ready.”  
  
“Well, that’s definitely a hyperbole.”  
  
“Close enough!”

Smirking, Steve rolled the condom down then lined himself up to Bucky. He moved to kiss Bucky as he entered and Bucky splayed his legs open even further. Slowly, Steve thrust in and out, making both of them pant in unison. Bucky clawed at his shoulder, holding on tight. Bucky keened every time Steve made him see stars. He must have been emitting more pheromones too, because Steve felt like he was engulfed in Bucky’s sweet intoxicating scent.

Bucky may have been virgin, but by no means was he _pure._ He had memorized everything from process to positions from all the readings, but he hadn’t expected everything to feel so good and exhilarating. It felt as if every molecule of his being was concentrated where he and Steve connected and he was close to losing his mind in the pleasure.

Bucky hitched his legs over Steve’s back, gripping and pushing Steve in deeper. They both moaned and Bucky soon came with a silent shout. Steve circled slowly inside, while Bucky clenched his muscles and shuddered from his orgasm. After a few short thrusts, Steve came with a grunt and dropped onto Bucky’s heaving chest.

“Bucky… Oh god, I love you so much,” said Steve, gently kissing Bucky’s breast.  
  
“Me too, Steve,” Bucky sighed as he smiled, then joked, “I guess being an angel doesn’t mean you’re innocent.”

Steve laughed and then began to move away. Bucky stiffened and clung to Steve more tightly.

“No, stay. Steve, I want you to stay.”  
  
“But we should clean up,” Steve began. But Bucky looked so apprehensive about the idea and Steve couldn’t say no. It occurred to him then that he was so gone and whipped. “Okay, let me just, get rid of this and come back?”  
  
“Okay.”

Steve did as promised, and also brought tissues to clean up Bucky as well. Then he positioned them sideways to spoon, cuddling Bucky to his front.

“You know I’m not gonna disappear,” teased Steve, placing a peck to Bucky’s ear.  
  
“I know,” Bucky answered, but they both heard loud and clear, the unsaid “I might.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! :D  
> [*tumblr*](http://daslebensmittel.tumblr.com)
> 
> *For[The Stucky Library](http://thestuckylibrary.tumblr.com) Stucky Big Bang 2016.  
> Title from: [Bad Habit - The Kooks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tUh-x-fp8Q)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Jean-Ralphio voice* It's sappy as heEEeeeEeEeell~♪

Steve woke with a jolt around 6 in the morning, when he usually got up for a run. He was disoriented at first, forgetting that he was in Bucky’s room. After their wondrous lovemaking, they had snuggled and quickly fallen asleep together, happy and sated. But when Steve got his bearings back, he noticed that he was quite alone, his arms devoid of an incubus he profoundly loved. Sighing gloomily, he scratched his head. Bucky did warn him and it had been Steve’s choice to take the risk. He had to admit though, that he didn’t expect it to happen so soon. Repressing the bubble of disappointment and pang in his heart, he reminded himself of what he had told Bucky the previous night: they’ll do it all over again. He’ll wait for Bucky to come back to him, even if only occasionally. 

Neatening the rumpled bed sheets, he put the bottom half of his clothes back on. His t-shirt was lost somewhere in the frenzy. As soon as he opened the door, he was bombarded with the smell and sound of sizzling bacon. It was Bucky, back in his regular humanoid state and wearing just Steve’s shirt, making a proper breakfast, an extremely rare event. A wide grin blossoming on his face, Steve rushed over to Bucky in the kitchen.

“Hey– oomph–“

Steve firmly hugged Bucky’s back. Bucky paused flipping the French toasts and lowered the heat. He turned on the spot to face Steve and kiss his cheek.

“Good morning. I’m making breakfast! Saw this on Instagram. It looked so good, had to Google the recipe. This one’s the Food Network version.”

Bucky rambled on about the recipe, as Steve simply listened. He understood. After all, he had been just as worried, fearing his inclinations would suddenly decide to kick in after centuries of dormancy, making him crave fornication greedily enough to find a multitude of partners. But that hadn’t happened at all. When he woke up a little before Steve, he had felt so _refreshed_ and _energized_. He didn't feel an ounce of the constant hunger or the emptiness in his soul. It was the first time ever for him to read ‘5:37 AM’ on his alarm clock since its acquisition. The usual trace of fatigue was nowhere to be found as well. He wasn’t sure what it all meant, but none of his predictions had come true. Instead, his affections for the snoozing angel had exponentially increased and he was happier than ever.

Watching Steve sleep so peacefully, he had gotten the brilliant idea to make breakfast for his adorable boyfriend (that’s what he was, right?), completely forgetting what it might seem like to Steve when he woke up.

“Hey- I know, I know. But I’m here. Feeling great and not horny at all,” whispered Bucky. Steve had been hugging, remaining quiet, for so long. “I don’t think I’ve changed. Except maybe that your angelic dick satisfied me so much that I’m a _morning person_ now and I wouldn’t _ever_ need anyone else.”

“Good lord. _Please_. I don’t think anyone’s genitals should be called ‘angelic,’ including mine!” 

Steve snickered and strengthened his hold on Bucky. Then they smelled something slightly burning. Bucky quickly let go of Steve to attend to his toasts. This batch was going to be a little too brown.

“Shit. Oh well. _You_ can eat these, since it’s your fault,” chided Bucky.

“Gladly,” replied Steve. He laid a kiss on Bucky’s head. He was going to eat all the burned toasts in the world if Bucky was going to be making them, by his side.

With Steve’s help, they finished making breakfast and sat down to dig in. Like he’d warned, he gave Steve all the lightly burned French toasts, but also a lot more of them in general. Bucky only put two on his own plate.

“You still not that hungry?”

“No. Why would I be? I just had the best lay ever,” gloated Bucky. Steve giggled with a light blush.

“Bruce said that you’ve been unwittingly feeding off my desires for you, actually.”

“What?” Bucky knitted his eyebrows together.

“Lust is just one kind of desire you can consume. Apparently, it’s not all about sex for you guys. You know how you’ve been less hungry and less motivated to go hunt? The whole time we’ve been roommates, I guess my desire for your body and soul was strong enough to keep you satisfied,” chuckled Steve.

“What?? Why didn’t you tell me earlier??” exclaimed Bucky.

“Well, that would have made it obvious that I was in love with you and I wasn’t ready for you to find out yet. And last night… I’m not an incubus expert, you could have been right!” Steve supplied, embarrassed.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Rogers! You are so dumb. We could have done this a long time ago!” Bucky slapped his hand on his forehead.

“Well, why didn’t you say nothin’, Buck?” retorted Steve. Bucky blushed.

“After my horrible first attempt, I doubted you’d ever like me like that.” And he had wanted to try friendship, too. He really hadn’t meant to fall for the dork so _hard_.

“To be honest, I thought you were cute the first time I met you,” smiled Steve. “But I wasn’t in a good place then, and you started crying, too.”

“Oh god, do _not_ remind me,” grimaced Bucky. “ _So_ not my finest hour.”

“Yeah, the whole thing was pretty ridiculous, but I think it made you more lovable to me,” Steve said dreamily. Bucky blushed again. He was pleased, but also embarrassed, his horrific flirting attempts flashing back. He just shoved more French toast in his mouth to escape responding.

 

After breakfast, they cuddled on the couch, their playful kisses becoming increasingly frisky. Steve soon became aroused and clutched Bucky’s hips like he couldn’t get enough. Steve’s stolen shirt rucked up over his chest and underwear unceremoniously discarded, Bucky rode Steve on the couch, rolling his hips sensually to give Steve the sweetest torture. He sagged onto Steve’s shoulders with ragged breath after they had climaxed together.

They kissed lazily, Bucky still on Steve’s lap, when Steve’s phone dinged with a calendar reminder. Steve glanced at the notification and scowled.

“I have another Avengers luncheon today. I’m thinking I might skip it,” said Steve, nuzzling Bucky’s neck.

“And what, ravish my poor ass all day? Seriously, who’s the incubus here?” laughed Bucky. Steve flushed crimson.

“Well, excuse me, I’ve been celibate my whole life too. So what if I’m a _bit_ addicted. It’s all your fault, my devious little demon,” Steve said mock-scornfully with narrowed eyes. He still tenderly kissed Bucky’s clavicle.

“No kidding?” laughed Bucky. “God, we put that Steve Carrell movie to shame, don’t we?”

“I guess so,” Steve chuckled. “You gonna go with me?”

“Yeah. I probably won’t eat much, but I do miss your lunatic superhero friends.”

Bucky gave a peck on Steve’s cheek and started to move off Steve. He shivered at the sensation of liquid gliding down his thigh. He wiped it with his fingers, then piercing Steve’s eyes, he brought what he collected to his partly open mouth.

“Wanna shower with me?” Bucky said, licking his fingers. Steve wordlessly pushed off the couch and picked Bucky up. He hauled Bucky on his shoulder to the bathroom, Bucky giggling the whole way. 

After taking much too long in the shower, doing other things way more promiscuous than washing, they managed to detach themselves enough to get ready and head out.

 

 

Immersed in their own world, they had apparently forgotten it was Valentine’s Day, because the Stark Tower lounge was bedecked with red and pink streamers and all kinds of heart cutouts hanging from the ceiling. The tables of the usual gourmet food was accompanied by another table of Valentine’s Day desserts: heart-shaped cookies with ‘Be mine’ or ‘I love you’ written on them, chocolate covered strawberries with pink sprinkles, red velvet cake with pink cream cheese frosting, among many more.

But before Steve and Bucky could approach the tables for closer inspection, Bruce hollered triumphantly, after giving the pair a perfunctory scan: “Paaaay up, Tony!”

Tony groaned in his seat on the sofa, flinging his hands up. Thor and Clint high-fived.

“Sure, Tony’s rich! Take all his money! I swear you all are goddamn charlatans.”

“Maybe you should have had more faith in our captain, then,” advised Natasha.

“How was I supposed to know that our resident grandpa was actually a lecherous old bastard??”

Bucky looked at Steve, bewildered. Steve just grumbled and rolled his eyes.

“Hey guys. Nice to see you again,” Sam finally greeted them. His eyes were full of victorious mirth as well.

“How much?” Steve asked, unimpressed. Tony was testily digging in his wallet and handing out bills of money to happily outstretched hands.

“Oh, not too much… Just a hundred bucks per head… Definitely not our biggest betting pool.”

“And Tony was the sole loser?”

“Yup! Even Pepper and Rhodey were on our side! Tony said, and I quote: ‘Captain Virgin ain’t gonna tap that before Thanksgiving!’”

 Steve groaned then shot Tony a glare, which the billionaire ignored.

“Way to be respectful to either of us, Stark,” he scolded.

“What…? Did they bet on how soon we were gonna hook up?” asked Bucky.

“Yep. I guess they all bet we would, what, by Valentine’s Day?” Steve directed to the others. Thor nodded enthusiastically.

“Wait… How do they know we did?? They only _looked_ at us??”

“Don’t ask me how they know. They’re all nosy pieces of shit, gambling on other people’s private lives,” complained Steve.

At first, Bucky buried his head with humiliation into Steve’s shoulder and let him consolingly pet his head, but soon, he was giggling maniacally. Yes, it was more than a little creepy and quite an infringement of privacy, but what did it matter? It was true, they were in love (and love _making_ ) and he wasn’t going to condemn them for having a little entertainment based on their happiness. They also bet on the result favoring Bucky, so he considered it as a weird sort of support. Any further encroachment was a definite no-no, but he’d forgive them this one time. Except for Tony. Bucky was going to _personally_ demonstrate what a true ‘lecherous old bastard’ was.

As they grabbed food, Natasha caught his eye and winked. He wasn’t sure what to make of it until he remembered their conversation the first time they had met. Then he shuddered with the realization that these people had figured out everything about Steve and him, before they themselves even got a _chance_. They were actually crazy. And in charge of saving the world. Bucky shook his head incredulously. 

Bucky took just a few hors d’oeuvres and some cookies, while Steve filled his plate with mountains of food. When he sat down on the sofa, everyone gave him a knowing look and a sly smirk. He rolled his eyes; of course they all knew how incubus metabolism worked. He vowed to tattle on them to Steve. Then Bucky giggled at the thought of already planning to exploit his boyfriend to his advantage. Steve caught his little giggle and beamed with his mouth full, making him look like the dopiest chipmunk. Unable to resist, Bucky kissed him, earning a collective ‘aw,’ when the elevator chimed again for the arrival of another guest.

It was Maria Hill, looking as put-together as ever, and behind her was an intimidating black man wearing an intimidating all black outfit, with an equally intimidating black eye-patch. Bucky intuitively guessed that he must be Director Fury, the devil in charge of managing the Avengers.

Maria genially greeted everyone including Bucky (then also collected a cool hundred dollars from a grouchy Stark, Bucky noted with embarrassment), while Fury stood still a few paces behind her, surveying everyone. Bucky had an odd feeling Fury was focusing on him.

“So, Fury Boo Bear, what brings you to my humble abode?” Stark greeted. Fury looked at him with a condescending eye.

“I am here to wish you all a happy Valentine’s Day, of course,” he said with a fiendish smile.

“Splendid! I was not aware that our director had so much holiday spirit!” Thor thundered.

“Dude, he doesn’t. He’s being sarcastic,” Clint corrected him.

“On the contrary, Agent Barton, I am delighted to be joining you on this lovely day,” Fury said, sneering. “It has been a while since I’ve seen you all, _intact_. I see that we have a new member of the gang as well?” 

Fury turned his singular gaze onto Bucky. Bucky swallowed and looked nervously to Steve. Steve seemed equally unsettled by this turn of events. Bucky stood to step toward Fury and offer a handshake.

“It’s an honor, sir. I’m Bucky Barnes,” he managed, without trembling too much.

“I know who you are, James Buchanan Barnes,” Fury rumbled, briefly shaking his hand. “I’ve seen you on the news, illegally entering the battlefield and stealing an officer’s weapon.”

Oh _shit,_ thought Bucky. He was in _deep_ trouble. He was going to be arrested again. He panicked and contemplated escaping, except that Fury still had a firm grasp of his hand. 

“Um, I… I’m sorry, sir…” Bucky breathed roughly, averting his gaze to anywhere but Fury. Then astonishingly, Fury let go of him and sat down on the chair nearby.

“I’m not here for your apology. I’m here to offer you a position on the Avengers team,” Fury announced.

“I, uh… What? Sir?”

“I saw how you deterred the aliens, effectively compromising their speed. Damn well saved their asses,” Fury glanced at the rest of them, all ‘busy’ with their food. “I know you’re an incubus, too; you could do some undercover intelligence work like Agent Romanoff, if you know what I mean. We could definitely use your assets, Barnes.” 

Natasha and Steve both snorted politely at the suggestion of Bucky seducing anyone else besides Steve. He glared at them, but quickly returned his attention to Fury.

“Um, I… I’m honored, sir. I don’t know if I can commit fully, but please, definitely count me in if you need extra help! Maybe I can switch to full-time later?”

“Will do, Sergeant Barnes,” Fury said and cracked the tiniest of smiles. He was getting up to leave, when something clicked in Bucky’s head.

“Wait, sir. How do you know my rank?” he asked. Fury stopped in his tracks to turn toward Bucky.

“I negotiated the deal with the United States government, for amnesty of the supernaturals if they served. I know every soldier in the Special Forces units and still keep track of them. I’m sorry for your injuries, Barnes, but it was the best I could do at the time,” said Fury, looking a little remorseful.

“Oh, no, sir. I’m grateful for your efforts,” replied Bucky. Natasha and Bruce nodded in agreement. After another _miniscule_ smile, Fury acknowledged them all and turned to leave, Maria on his heels. Right before he entered the elevator, he swiveled back around with his coat billowing, pointing at Tony.

“Don’t forget _my_ one hundred dollars, Stark. No cash or checks." 

With that, he stepped in and disappeared behind the sliding doors. Tony groaned again and grumbled, “That’s one _thousand_ dollars!” He was hoping that Fury had forgotten, but now he had to wire _him_ money, too – paper money burned easily in hell. The amount of money was hardly significant, obviously, but the fact he had lost spectacularly against every single person made a remarkable dent on his pride. Steve, meanwhile, looked about ready to combust from the mortification.

Praying that Fury was the last participant, Bucky counted all the people who bet on them, including those absent, but he could only think of nine. Bruce took notice and helpfully informed him, “Happy wagered on you, too.” Bucky blushed and groaned like Tony. He’d briefly met Happy only once. _Once_.

Bucky plopped back down next to Steve, and Steve put his arm around his shoulders. Quickly forgetting his humiliation at how everyone knew about his personal life, he leaned into Steve and hummed contentedly. 

“So, why don’t you wanna work with us full time?” Steve asked.

“Well, I really only know how to snipe… You guys have close combat covered. And I don’t know if I can work full time both with you and the salon.”

“The Red Room Boudoir?”

“Yeah. Did you think I’d quit? I can’t! They’re gonna make me assistant manager soon and they can’t lose their head feline stylist!”

“Oh, I didn’t know that. Congratulations! And you’re right - you shouldn’t quit. You love working there,” Steve said dotingly.

“What’s this about a ‘Red Room Boudoir’?” Clint asked with feigned innocence.

“It’s the _high-end_ pet salon I work at,” Bucky replied with an epic roll of his eyes.

“Oh, right. Steve told us you’re a pet stylist,” Sam added thoughtfully.

“Is it fun?” Natasha asked. “I’m considering a side job. I’m good with big dogs; they all love me for some reason.”

“Really? We could totally use your help. Have you groomed before?” Bucky asked excitedly.

“Please, Barnes,” scoffed Natasha, flipping her fiery red hair, “I can learn to do _anything_ perfectly. You’ll be promoting me before you can even say ‘head canine stylist.’”

Bucky shook his head at her confidence, but knew she was probably right. He gave her the salon number and told her to call sometime next week. They had a good team of stylists, but big dogs were always challenging and few were willing to take the appointments. He could see it already: Natasha was going to be the siren queen of big dogs as soon as she was hired.

After opening a bottle of champagne to celebrate Valentine’s Day and the addition of Bucky to their team (“Part-time,” Bucky reminded), Steve and Bucky decided to leave the tower a few hours before sunset. Tony was off to Paris for a date with Pepper, who was already there on business. He was flying as a dragon to get there faster, but Steve snidely remarked, “Yeah, Tony. You just lost a lot of money. Better save a little, ya big lizard.” To which Tony responded by flipping him off with his middle claw before he took off from the extended balcony. The rest of them sorted themselves out, some going on dates as well, and some staying to enjoy a singles’ night together. No one invited Steve and Bucky to stay, simply wiggling their eyebrows at them instead.

 

So they left the tower, a little exasperated at their intrusive friends, but still giddy at the prospect of some more quality time, alone. As they walked to the station, arms linked together, Steve turned to Bucky in question. 

“So, you wanna go on a proper Valentine’s Day date?”

“You know, I completely forgot about it. I have no idea what to do!”

“Yeah, me neither. Never really did anything for it.”

“Then let’s not do anything. Just spending time with you will be good enough for me,” Bucky said a little bashfully. Steve beamed and kissed Bucky’s nose.

“You just say the sweetest things, Buck!” Bucky slapped him. “Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we go to the bakery by Sacred Shield?”

“Oh, yes. Good thinking. So you aren’t totally a dumb punk!”

“Well, you’re stuck with me now, so you better watch it, jerk.”

They rode the train a little ways then walked the rest of the way to the bakery. The bakery also had beautiful Valentine’s Day desserts prepared, but having had enough already, they just ordered two cups of coffee and a bag of Bucky’s favorite triple chocolate chip cookies to go. Steve suggested taking a walk in the memorial park by Sacred Shield, so they made their way to the hospital, as the sun began its descent to the horizon.

The memorial park was small, just enough acreage for patients and guests to enjoy a reprieve from the stuffy hospital airs. Still, it even had a little pond, filled with water lilies and koi fish. They were the lone occupants, as the weather was still too chilly for any patient to be out. They found a bench under a tall oak tree and settled themselves comfortably together.

“I used to play here when I was a kid,” Steve said.

“When you were still mortal, right?”

“Yeah. You know, Sacred Shield is so special to me. I’ve spent my childhood here, became an angel and like this,” Steve gestured to his body with a wink, “lost my mom here. Met Peggy, lost Peggy… And then I met you here, too.”

Steve met his eyes and Bucky held his breath.

“And then, you even told me you loved me, here. It was the best thing I’d ever heard. If I were greedy, I’d take up permanent residence at this place, to see what else good happens to me!”

They chortled together. Steve cupped Bucky’s cheek and lingered his fingers to feel his warm skin. Bucky blinked slowly and leaned into the touch. He had only chosen the hospital somewhat on a whim (and some minor calculations), but for Steve, it seemed as though it was the only logical place for them to have met. And Bucky wasn’t sure if he could genuinely disagree. 

“Yeah… I almost can’t believe it’s true. You know, Natasha told me to be more serious about my hunts. I thought she was out of her mind… But unsurprisingly, she wasn’t. I don’t think I truly put my heart into it all those times, because… I didn’t really want that. Still, an incubus in love with an angel? Who’d have thought it possible?” laughed Bucky.

“It’s ‘cause you’re special, Bucky. You’re one of a kind.”

Bucky repeated his words in his mind. It might be the only explanation to his extraordinary circumstances: Bucky was practically a demi-sexual incubus! But he was still worried. Worried that the happiness was a fluke; that it might vanish just as randomly as it had emerged. Happiness hadn’t been a frequent visitor in Bucky’s life. Bucky was afraid he might screw it up with Steve somehow, leaving the poor man in pain, obliged to Bucky by his love and duty. Bucky’s eyes welled up at the thought of hurting Steve. He would surely extinguish himself if that were to happen. 

“Bucky, I can hear you thinking. And you should stop. I promise, I’m fine with whatever you choose to do, but look: you haven’t left me, you tear up at the thought of leaving me, and I know you love me, enough to return to me if you did leave.”

“But Steve…”

“Who knows how the supernatural works? I sure don’t. But the way things have been, I’m inclined to think that we may have been set up,” said Steve with a twinkle in his eyes.

“What do you mean? By whom?”

“I probably sound insane, but I feel like my mom and Peggy sent you to me,” Steve said, blushing. “I was their guardian angel when they were alive, but maybe now? They are mine. And… maybe they saw me all lonely and pathetic, and sent you to seduce me with your awful pick-up line.”

Bucky smacked Steve on his arm, but they both laughed heartily.

“Maybe you’re right,” Bucky said. “You said so yourself it seems like fate that I used the angel pick-up line on you.”

“You mean angle,” Steve corrected. Bucky whacked him, much harder than the last time. Steve whined with pain, but begged for forgiveness when Bucky continued to glare. But he soon smiled and pecked Steve’s nose when he pulled out the kicked-puppy eyes. Sipping their coffee and watching the setting sun paint the sky, Bucky snuggled closer to Steve’s warm body.

“Our world is magical, even more so than any of us dreamed it to be,” began Steve. “There are so many things even we don’t understand about ourselves… But I know that you and I were meant to be, that we will be very happy together. Always.” He looked over to Bucky with the brightest smile.

“Oh Steve,” Bucky sniffled. “You’re such a sap. But I think I love you for that.”

“You ‘think’? Too late for that, pal. Now that I have you, there’s nothing that’ll make me let go.”

“Oh yeah? I found some Sherlock pick-up lines on Tumblr. Let’s see how long you last before you beg for mercy,” threatened Bucky.

“Oh god, I just hope they’re better than your Harry Potter ones…”

“Nope!” Bucky cackled mischievously as Steve buried his face in Bucky’s shoulder. After the sun had completely gone down, they made their way back home, holding hands and discussing dinner possibilities. Things were going to be different from now on. The cookies, for one, would last a lengthier life span, as Bucky was never going to be infinitely hungry again. And Steve wasn’t going to take up space at the hospital anymore, since he wouldn’t ever be heartbroken and lonely again.

It might not all be easy, but Bucky wasn’t afraid. He had Steve by his side, and for once in his very long life, he had faith in himself. And he knew that their story didn’t end here, it was only beginning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_Epilogue_

“So did you ever find out who discharged the dino-bots?” asked Bucky.

“Oh yeah. We got an apology from this guy in space named Peter Quill, self-proclaimed ‘Guardian of the Galaxy,’” answered Steve. “Apparently his colleague ‘Rocket Raccoon’ met up with one of Peter’s alternate universe selves, who’s a dinosaur trainer, and tinkered with the dinosaurs for fun.”

“Okaaaay… But why did he send them to Earth?”

“By accident. Rocket also sent a message that said ‘Oops, my bad.’”

“That’s it?? He sends a fleet of space dinos that wrecked New York and ‘my bad’ is all he’s got to say???”

“Yeah. According to Peter, it’s way more than Rocket’s usual apology.”

“Jesus, what a bunch of dicks. And what does that mean, Peter’s ‘alternate universe self’?”

“Well, there are these alternate universes, wherein we all exist, but leading different lives.”

“So there are other versions of us, too?”

“Yep, probably. For example, there could be an alternate version of us where we grow up together, go to war together, but then I crash a plane in the Arctic, you become a brain-washed assassin, and then we re-unite in the future!”

“Wow, you thought this out.”

“We still fall in love, though. Because, you know. It’s us!”

“…Sap.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh goodness! It's done! Thank you all for reading this goopy, cheesy mess! (Is this fic nacho cheese..?)  
> I had fun with it, so please forgive the self-indulgent writing. I hope you had at least a little fun reading it! :)  
> This was my first big bang and it was much fun! 
> 
> *UPDATE* [maadskittlez29](http://maadskittlez29.tumblr.com) was my artist!! [Please check out the art she did for this schmoop fest!!](http://maadskittlez29.tumblr.com/post/149676516249/looking-for-a-stranger-to-love-by-daslebensmittel)
> 
> Also: If you haven't already, please check out ["The Laws of Sympathetic Magic"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5748262) by Poe! *I did art for this one* 
> 
> As always, comments & kudos are always greatly appreciated! :D [*tumblr*](http://daslebensmittel.tumblr.com)
> 
> *For[The Stucky Library](http://thestuckylibrary.tumblr.com) Stucky Big Bang 2016.  
> Title from: [Bad Habit - The Kooks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tUh-x-fp8Q)


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